


The chance of love

by iseekun_bxa (jj5angel)



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, a lot of other idol producer trainees, maybe more couples, yikun, zikun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-05-03 20:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 101,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14576574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jj5angel/pseuds/iseekun_bxa
Summary: Cai Xukun get his heart broken by his best friend without even getting the chance to confess when he gets swept away by Wang Ziyi.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language so bear with me.  
> The lack of ZiKun fanfictions on ao3 was breaking my heart so I had to contribute something.

It’s pouring outside. Cai Xukun opens the door and walks out into the rain as his tears flow down his face. Closing his eyes, he looks up at the gray sky.

A small smile on his lips. Bitter. His mobile phone clutched tightly in his right hand.

He can still hear his best friend’s delighted words as he told him about finally being asked out by his crush and how excited he is.

Xukun had no other way but to congratulate him and be the best friend he needed.

Disregarding the heartache, he helped him pick the outfit for the date, went through every detail with him and ended the phone call with “I’m happy for you”.

Time was not on his side.

When he finally decided to confess. When he finally got the courage to pour out his heart. He didn’t even get the chance to.

Since the first day Xukun met him, he knew he would be _the one_ for him. The one he’s been looking for.

He cries harder. Everything disappearing behind a blurry canvas. Colors blending in together. No sounds can be heard besides the sound of the pouring rain masking his tears as they fall down and hit his face.

 

Suddenly the rain stops. Surprised he opens his eyes, everything still blurry from his tears, but he can see the rain is still pouring down from the sky like before.

He tilts his head up slightly and sees an umbrella. Turning around Xukun notices a man standing behind him, dressed in black and white, holding the umbrella over him and covering Xukun from the rain.

The man himself is getting drenched but looks like he doesn’t even care.

“You shouldn’t be out here. Let’s go inside.”, he said to Xukun with a gentle smile. Then he takes Xukun’s left hand and pulls him inside the building.

Startled Xukun just let him.

Once inside the man pulls him over to a bank and lets him sit down.

“Wait here”

He leaves and comes back after a few minutes with some towels and starts drying Xukun’s hair with one of them.

“You shouldn’t be standing in the rain, you will get ill.”

He then wraps another one around Xukun’s shoulders and smiles at him again.

“You should get changed into dry clothes. I’ve some spare clothes upstairs, I can give them to you. Follow me.”

Xukun doesn’t understand why a stranger is treating him this nice. He watches the stranger press the elevator button and walking over to him again. The stranger keeps smiling at him as he takes Xukun’s hand in his and guides him to the elevator.

Finally getting out of his dazed state Xukun pulls his hand away and takes a step back.

“It’s okay, I’m fine.”

The stranger studies him and for a short moment Xukun thinks he can see disappointment on his face but then the smile he was wearing returns.

“You will really catch a cold if you keep wearing these wet clothes. Please just take my offer. I promise I’m not a creep. I work here, too.”

The elevator arrives and the stranger steps inside.

Xukun observe him for a few seconds and then reluctantly steps inside, too. He notices the stranger pressing the button to the 9thfloor as the doors close. There is an awkward silence between them as they ride the elevator up to the 9thfloor without any stops.

He glances over and takes a closer look at the man next to him who was now typing on his phone. He was wearing a black parka from Saint Laurent and a white Louis Vuitton high neck shirt paired with white jeans. Xukun couldn’t remember ever seeing him in the building but the man claims to be working for the company too. He was wondering if the other was also a model like him but then again why has he never met him before.

Too engrossed in his thoughts he didn’t realize that they have arrived on the 9thfloor until suddenly a hand was put on his shoulder to get him out of his daze. Xukun lets out a silent yelp and takes a step back when he noticed the hand is still lingering on his shoulder.  

Chuckling the other takes his hand away.

“We’ve arrived. Follow me.”

They step out of the elevator and walk down the hallway to an office with the door closed. Cai Xukun watches the other typing in a passcode to unlock the door. Once it’s opened the other turns around to him.

“Do you want to come inside or wait here?”

“Eh, I’ll just wait here…”

The other nods and steps inside. Xukun stands in front of the office awkwardly. Glancing around he catches sight of a nameplate hanging next to the door. Stepping closer to take a better look he reads

 

_Chief content officer (CCO)_

_Wang Ziyi_

 

He has heard of that name somewhere. Friends working within the same company but in other departments have complained about the high demands coming from the chief content officer. Zhengting, his best friend, one of the company’s renowned dancers, has complained about the endless retakes he had to record and being the reason for why Xukun had to wait multiple times for him.

_Zhengting …_

Xukun sighs as he was reminded of what happened a while ago. Tears threatening to fall again but he caught himself before it could happen and wipes at his face with his right sleeve. It doesn’t really help since he was drenched from the rain.

Just as he was starting to feel cold the man, he now assumes is called Wang Ziyi, comes back with clothes in his hand.

“Sorry, I forgot where I’ve put them so it took a bit longer.”

He holds them in front of Xukun.

“The bathroom is just down the hall on the right side. And you can put your wet clothes in the bag that’s lying beneath my clothes.”

Xukun nods as he takes the clothes and the bag from Ziyi’s hands.

“Thank you.”

Ziyi smiles at him. Again.

“If you want I can wait for you, a lot of people don’t like to be alone up here during this time since no one else is around the office anymore.”  
Xukun looks around and then nods in agreement. He doesn’t like dark and scary looking hallways, they reminded him of every scary movie he has ever watched. It makes him feel anxious.

But oddly enough he feels safe with the man he just met not even an hour ago by his side.

_Maybe it is his smile._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update as much as possible. Hope you guys like it ~  
> This fan fiction will most probably be a slow burn since there are so many characters and side stories woven into the main story.

Standing in one of the cubicles of the bathroom Xukun takes off his wet clothes and put them on the closed lid. He takes the towel that was wrapped around his neck and dries off his body. Luckily his boxers were not drenched or else he would have to ask the man he just met whether he would have any spares. Xukun blushes by the thought of it. 

Brushing it of quickly he picks up the clothes given to him and takes a look at them before putting them on. The white Gucci shirt is a size too big for him but the pants fit quite well even though Wang Ziyi should be a bit taller than him. Picking up his wet closes, he puts them into the bag and exits the cubicle.

Xukun walks over to the sink and looks at his reflection. He notices his eyes, swollen from crying. He sighs. 

Leaning against the sink with his hands propped on both sides he stares into his own eyes determined. 

„You cannot let this ruin your friendship! You can do this!“

Taking a deep breath he nods and then proceeds with washing his face. Before leaving the bathroom he takes another look at his reflection. Checking the clothes he is wearing. 

Even though he is used to wear clothes given to him for photo shootings this still feels strange and in a way more intimate. Besides for work he has never worn another person‘s things and the clothes he wears for the shootings have that distinct fresh out of the manufactory smell.

He takes a sniff at the shirt. It smells of sandalwood and another fragrance Xukun doesn’t recognize. Xukun finds himself blushing again. 

Turning on the faucet and splashing some water on his face he wills the redness on his face away before leaving the bathroom.

 

Ziyi is leaning against the wall opposite of the bathroom and typing on his phone with a slight frown.

He was on his way out to grab some dinner with his two bros when he accidentally eavesdropped on Xukun‘s phone call and witnessed his heartbreak. 

If he has to be honest, he has been watching Xukun for a while but never got the opportunity to approach him and now seeing him like this also breaks Ziyi’s heart.

Wang Ziyi first met Cai Xukun during an outdoor shooting. Usually Ziyi stays within his office to go through every project before approving or dismissing them. Sometimes he himself is working on a project, editing videos or photos or shooting for an exclusive line if the right brand or company is offering and his already packed schedule allows him to.

So when he was sent out to supervise the shooting for a commercial video of a vitamin water brand with the other company’s chief he didn’t expect to meet the one person he just cannot get out of his mind. At first, he just admired the cute appearance but as he observed him he noticed so much more to Cai Xukun. Even though he was the main spokesperson he was not in any way conceited, Xukun was always ready to help all staff members on set whenever they needed help and thanked everyone for every small matter be it the make-up artists doing touch ups on him or staff bringing him water and towels.

Since then Ziyi always places special attention on Xukun and his work. He saw and worked on a lot of Xukun’s projects, editing and making everything perfect just as he thinks Xukun deserves. However, as the chief content officer of the company Ziyi rarely gets time to leave his office with all the work piling up on his table so he barely spots Xukun in person let alone talk to him.

Hearing the door opening Ziyi looks up from his phone. His frown quickly switching to another small smile upon seeing Xukun.

“You’re done changing?”

Xukun nods in return.

“Thank you for your offer, I appreciate it. I will get them cleaned and return them to you as soon as possible.”

“No need to rush, you can return them whenever you find the time to. And moreover, you look really cute in my clothes, I really don’t mind.”

Xukun once again feels his face heating up by what Ziyi just told him. He looks away and clears his throat. “I think I should leave now, it’s getting late and I have a schedule tomorrow morning.”

They both walk towards the elevator and ride down in silence.

-

Two cars are racing down the highway of Shanghai, both going over the permitted speed limit. In the red Ferrari Portofino sits a silver haired grinning male clad in a black leather jacket, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the shifter.

 _“Bet I can arrive at the company before you!”_ , comes from the speakers inside his car as a blue Lamborghini Aventador S runs past him.

“We’ll see”, he answered as he accelerates.

Lucky for them there are not many pedestrians on the street that night and the weather has calmed down. Only a few raindrops are falling down as both cars stop in front of the building of “IP Corporation”.

Both car doors open at almost the same time and two dazzling males are stepping out of the cars.

“Told you I would beat you Lin Yanjun”, says the black-haired male leaning against his blue Lamborghini.

“Dream on Jeffrey, I arrived two seconds before you. Just because your car says it’s faster on paper doesn’t mean shit!”

Jeffrey just chuckles as he looks towards the entrance of the building. “Hey look, that’s Ziyi over there”

Yanjun also turns his head towards the entrance. Both of them watch the two figures as they part before shouting Ziyi’s name to get his attention.

Ziyi turns towards the noise and rolls his eyes. He slowly walks over to them before greeting them each with a bro hug.  

“So why exactly did you ditch us and dinner, you didn’t clarify it in the group chat.”, Jeffrey says as both Yanjun and Jeffrey observe Ziyi.

Ziyi shrugs. “Something came up.”

“You mean someone?” Yanjun grins at him.

“We both saw who left just now. Spill the tea.”

Ziyi goes through his hair with his right hand, looking slightly annoyed. “He got drenched in the rain so I offered him some clothes to change into. Satisfied?”

Jeffrey and Yanjun both grin at Ziyi mischievously. “We will be if you tell us whether you got his number in return?”, Jeffrey says and high fives Yanjun.

Ziyi looks at them in disbelief and then shakes his head. “I didn’t even tell him my name.”

“I thought I taught you better than that Wang Ziyi.”, Yanjun says as he wraps one arm around Ziyi’s shoulder. “I mean it was the perfect opportunity for you to get laid!”

Groaning Ziyi regrets ever telling his best friends about his crush on Cai Xukun. They will never let this die down.

“I told you I like him for his qualities not for his looks.” Silence.

“Ok fine, him being more than hot is a major turn on, too.”, Ziyi finally gives in. “I’ll definitely cancel this friendship and look for new best friends.”

“Can’t, you’ll have to bear with us until your last days on earth. We’re bros remember?”, Jeffrey says while also wrapping an arm around Ziyi’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah bros forever, as long as you guys let me go get some dinner now. I’ll have to return to the office and finish some paperwork afterwards.”

“We’re starving too. Don’ forget we have been waiting for you and you just ditched us for your crush. That’s why you’re paying later. So where is your car or do you want to ride with one of us?” Yanjun looks at Ziyi and waits for his reply.

Ziyi looks at Jeffrey and then at Yanjun.

“I’ll pass and take my own car. Meet you guys at the usual place.” Ziyi detaches himself from the other two and walks towards the parking garage where his car is parked.

 

On his way to the restaurant Yanjun, Jeffrey and him usually frequent, Ziyi goes through the moments he had with Xukun. He doesn’t know the exact reason why Xukun has been so heartbroken but Ziyi can imagine what kind of reason it is. He makes up his mind and is determined to never let Xukun go through something like this again.

He will make him happy and make him smile that smile Ziyi loves to see on Xukun’s face.

With this in mind he accelerates his Aston Martin Vanquish Ultimate and speeds off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments and tell me what you guys think :)


	3. Chapter 3

Xukun groans as he turns to his right side on his bed, left hand reaching out to mute his phone’s alarm. He opens one of his eyes to better look for his phone but with just once glance on the phone’s screen and he realizes that it cannot be his alarm that is ringing. 

04:23 the screen shows.

His alarm is set for 05:30. 

„Ugh, who the hell is ringing my door bell at this time.“ The still sleepy boy faces down on his mattress and pulls a pillow over his head trying to block out the noise coming from his door bell hoping whoever it is will just give up and leave.

Suddenly his blanket gets pulled off his body leaving him shivering when Xukun was about to fall back asleep. 

Groaning he keeps lying on the bed. There is only one person who has the key to his apartment besides himself and it is the last person he wanted to face this early in the morning.

“Get up. I’m so excited and need someone to rant to.”, the brown-haired man standing at the foot of his bed says.

Xukun keeps lying on his bed not moving and not replying, he just wants to sleep and avoid any interaction until he is sure he won’t be as affected and say anything he will regret in his still sleepy state. Not satisfied with the reply he got, the other man shakes his head and climbs up the bed before he lets himself fall next to Xukun.

“I just couldn’t sleep and since you didn’t pick up your phone I decided to come over.”, he says while looking at the ceiling with a shy and dreamy smile.

Turning his body towards Xukun, the man hits him on the back and shake him to get his attention. “Don’t you dare fall asleep again! Come on wake up!”

“Can we postpone this until a more humane hour Zhengting? Let me sleep, I still have an hour before I have to wake up for my schedule.”, Xukun mumbles beneath the pillow.

“Fine, I’ll rant and you can pretend to listen, I just need to share this with my best friend now. You can come to me any time and rant about your crush too in the future.”

Xukun would be lying if he says that didn’t hurt.

With every passing minute of Zhengting telling him about how his date was and how considerate, nice and caring his crush was towards him, Xukun feels more and more awful. He knows he shouldn’t feel that way because Zhengting is his best friend after all and he still cares a lot about his friendship with the other. When his phone’s alarm finally rings at 5:30 AM he feels like he has been saved from suffocating as Zhengting stops his rant.

Xukun pretends to stretch as if he just woke up and wasn’t awake that whole time.

“Yah, did you really fell back asleep and didn’t listen to anything I told you about?”, Zhengting asks in disbelief.

He yawns, and sits up smiling sleepily at Zhengting. “I only remember you saying something about being on a date but then I fell asleep again. I told you, you should have waited.”

Xukun gets up from his bed to get ready. He walks towards his bathroom. Zhengting follows him but stops in front of the bathroom when Xukun closes the door behind him.

“Ugh, at least I had someone to rant to. Short version, it was just perfect.”

Xukun sighs hearing that but proceeds with his morning routine. Washing his face, brushing his teeth and applying the skin care products Zhengting bought for him.

Meanwhile Zhengting was going around Xukun’s room, picking up clothes thrown and lying on the floor.

“I told you to clean up now and then. How can you even find anything like this?” Zhengting says while shaking his head but then he notices a shirt and pants neatly folded lying on the chair in Xukun’s room. He picks them up and studies them. Zhengting has never seen these two pieces in Xukun’s wardrobe and he knows that the other is not endorsing these brands. Moreover, the shirt seems to be a size too big for him.

Zhengting’s eyes widen.

“OH MY GOD! How dare you! I thought I am your best friend!”

With both pieces in his hand and the other long forgotten lying on the floor, he walks over to the bathroom and hammers against the door.

“Cai Xukun come out and give me an explanation right now!”

Confused about what the other was talking about, Xukun opens the door to face a rather angry but also disappointed looking Zhengting. Then his eyes wander to the shirt and pants Zhengting was holding in his hand.

“Here I am wanting to share my perfect date with my best friend because I thought he was interested in my life to find him keeping secrets from me. How come you forgot to tell me that you have someone in your life too? Who is he and why are his clothes in your room.”

“It’s not like what you’re thinking.”, Xukun answers slightly frustrated.

Zhengting looks at him confused. “Don’t tell me it was a one night stand kind of thing and that guy left naked only wearing his underwear because I will not take that for an answer.”

Xukun rolls his eyes and takes the clothes from Zhengting.

“Of course not. I just got drenched last night and a guy from the company offered me his clothes so that I won’t catch a cold. That’s it.”

Still not satisfied with Xukun’s answer, Zhengting probes further. “Which guy, do I know him? Considering the brand and price of the shirt and pants it has to be someone rather well off or within our rank, either a fellow model, dancer, singer or actor.”

Zhengting was already going through all possible candidates that fit the criteria he just mentioned.

“Eh, no I don’t think he models or does one of the other things. His office is on the 9thfloor. His name was Wang Ziyi or something like that. I’m not sure since he didn’t introduce himself and I only read the nameplate on the door.”

Zhengting’s eyes widen. Xukun just walks away with the clothes in his hand and put them back on the chair. He will need to get them washed before returning them to their owner.

“You just said Wang Ziyi, right? _THE Wang Ziyi_? You know tall and handsome, black hair and sharp jawbone? That one?”

Not sure how to answer and why Zhengting is reacting like that Xukun just nods slightly.

“Sounds like him.”

Zhengting sits down on Xukun’s bed needing something to keep his excitement at bay.

“Cai Xukun you’re such a lucky man. Don’t you know how many would love to have even a tiny glimpse of Wang Ziyi in person and here you are getting offered to wear his clothes.”

Xukun picks out an outfit and walks back towards the bathroom to get changed while still being confused as to why Zhengting is making such a big deal out of it.

“He didn’t seem to care about it that much.”

“If I don’t already have my eyes on someone else I would ask you to introduce me to him.”, Zhengting ignores Xukun’s answer and replies dreamily.

Finished changing into his outfit, Xukun leaves the bathroom but not before rolling his eyes at Zhengting’s words.

Xukun starts packing his bag for the day, checking whether he has all necessary items put inside while Zhengting watches him.

“But seriously how come you don’t know him? He is pretty famous within and outside of the company. And I have to disagree with your former statement about him not doing any of the things I listed. If it is really Wang Ziyi you’ve met then I can tell you that he’s modeling and I think someone once told me that he’s also quiet the good dancer but his main job is overlooking the company’s media creation.”

Xukun just shrugs. He has never been interested in gossip and was always focused on his job and friends. He checks the time and is just in time to leave to get to his schedule in time.

“I have to leave now. You can stay and maybe sleep for a while, I think your adrenaline should be used up pretty soon and you have a dance workshop to teach tomorrow if I remember it correctly.”

Zhengting smiles at Xukun’s statement and gets up to hug him. “Always the caring best friend.”

“I’ll take a nap and leave after. Don’t worry I’ll lock your door. And before you leave, look him up when you have time”, Zhengting says with a playful wink.

Xukun just nods slightly to brush off the topic and leaves with a heavy heart and with the words  _best friend_ haunting him on his way to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're finally meeting the best friend.  
> I'm still not sure who to pair Zhengting with so I didn't mention any name yet.  
> Who would you suggest it to be?


	4. Chapter 4

A few days have past.

Zhengting has been pestering Xukun to look up Ziyi multiple times. Going as far as to gathering magazines and printing out information on Wang Ziyi and bringing them to Xukun’s apartment to hold a whole presentation about said man.

“I thought you were annoyed about him. You always complain about him for making you re-record your dance routines. Why are you so excited about this? He just lent me some of his clothes.” Xukun groans as he lies on his couch playing a game on his phone.

Zhengting walks over to him and takes his phone away.

“I prepared this especially for you and you’re playing on your phone?” Zhengting shakes his head disapprovingly.

“First of all, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t approve of him. Wang Ziyi is completely boyfriend material. Moreover, I hope you will find someone soon so we both can go on a double date.”

Xukun rolls his eyes. If only he knew about his feelings.

 

Luckily for him Zhengting had to leave for his dance training so he was spared from listening to his presentation.

Xukun finds himself on his way to the company with the cleaned clothes neatly tugged in a bag on his day off. He is convinced Zhengting will end his obsession with Wang Ziyi once he has returned the clothes and end all connection to the said man.

He arrives at IP Corporation and enters the building. He nods at some faces he recognizes and has some small talk with his acquaintances and staff members before entering the elevator and making his way up to the 9th floor.

His plan was clearly structured in his mind. Going straight to Ziyi’s office, thanking him for his help, giving him the bag and then leave. He didn’t expect to be faced with Ziyi’s secretary telling him to wait in apparently Ziyi’s main office which was just next to the room the other went in to get the clothes for Xukun while the man he planned to see was still in a meeting.

-

Ziyi has not seen Xukun for days. Not that it was something new but there has been no progress after his last encounter with the black-haired boy and his decision to act on his feelings. He has been more than busy with the amount of work from all the upcoming comebacks from their company’s artists and other releases that needed Ziyi’s final approval. He was lucky if he could leave the company before midnight every day.

So, he was expecting more work when his secretary Zheng Ruibin announces a visitor waiting in his office when he comes back from a meeting with the other directors and not the black-haired cutie he was yearning for sitting in his office with a bag in his lap while observing the room.

Ziyi couldn’t help the smile that appears immediately at the sight of Cai Xukun. It seems like God has heard his prayers and has mercy on him to send this angel straight to his office.

He knocks on the door to make the other notice his presence before closing the door and notices the silent shriek coming from Xukun.

 _He is just too cute_ , Ziyi thinks.

Ziyi walks over to his desk where Xukun was sitting while taking off his coat and hanging it up on the rail next to the desk.

Xukun wants to stand up to greet him but Ziyi just makes a gesture for him to stay seated.

“It’s nice seeing you again. How have you been?”, Ziyi says while sitting down opposite of Xukun with that unwavering smile that makes Xukun blush unknowingly.

“I’ve been well. Ehm I’m here to return the shirt and pants you gave me.”  
Xukun takes the bag that was sitting on his lap and hands it over to Ziyi.

Ziyi takes it and put it on the floor next to him.

“And I wanted to thank you once again for your offer. It was really nice from you.” The taller one just shakes his head.

“Anyone would have done that. There is really no need to thank me so many times. I’m glad that you’ve not caught a cold and been well the last few days.”

Xukun is not sure how to reply to that. He forgets about everything he has planned before coming into this office and meeting Ziyi.

“Are you free now?” Ziyi asks as the other looks up from his lap surprised.

“Yeah, it’s my day off.”

Ziyi’s smile widen as he stands up and takes his coat from the rail again.

“Great. Let’s go grab some coffee. Do you like coffee? If not we can go get something else.”

Xukun frowns. What is happening right now?

“No, I like coffee. Coffee is just fine. But I don’t want to take up more of your time, I’m sure you’re busy.”, Xukun says as he slowly gets up from his seat.

“Nah, I really need some coffee and a change of view. So please accompany me?”, Ziyi asks as he opens the door and holds it open for Xukun to exit.

Unsure of how to reply Xukun just nods slightly and walks out of the room before Ziyi closes the door.

They walk past Ruibin’s desk and Xukun watches Ziyi telling Ruibin something with the other looking slightly shocked, turning his gaze from Ziyi to Xukun and back to Ziyi before nodding.

Both of them then ride the elevator down to the ground floor before going to the café next to their company’s building with Xukun still confused on how this all happened when he only wanted to return the clothes to their owner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 4 in the morning now. I should be sleeping but here I am updating the story. XD  
> The chapter is actually longer than this but I decided to divide it into two chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one comes in between You Zhangjing and his food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Zhangjun before we go back to Zikun ~

Lin Yanjun was on his way back from a performance when he asks his manager to stop by the café around the corner from their company for him to buy some coffee and cake.

He was feeling exceptional good today and the coffee and cake from “Next station: Happiness” always makes his day perfect.

Putting on a mask, a cap and a pair of sunglasses he exits the van and walks over to the café. Usually his manger is the one to go buy him things while he is waiting in the van to avoid fans rushing to him and asking for autographs or photos. He doesn’t mind interacting with his fans but the company wants to make sure his schedule won’t be affected so he has to comply with their regulation. But today Yanjun is in a great mood and since he doesn’t have any more schedule for the day which he needs to rush to he decides to do it on his own.

There are not many people in the café, only a few staff members from his company and some employees from the neighboring ones. Yanjun walks towards the counter. In front of him is only one other guest ordering and waiting for his order.

He takes out his phone and checks it for notifications. Once in a while looking up to see how far the barista is done with the other guest’s order. He widens his eyes as he watches the last strawberry cheesecake piece being ordered by the short man in front of him.

Yanjun pouts slightly. He was looking forward to eating it.

He sulkily watches the man order more desserts and wonders if all of them are only for that tiny man. The barista finishes the other’s order and Yanjun watches the tiny man carrying the two trays of food and drinks over to a table in the corner of the café.  

Yanjun moves forwards to the counter and orders his iced coffee and asks whether there is any strawberry cheesecake left to which the barista apologizes.

Sighing, he turns his head towards the other guest who has started to eat the cake pieces in front of him. Yanjun keeps looking at that one piece of cake longingly when the other person notices his gaze and looks up from the dessert.

The brown-haired man raises an eyebrow at him but disregards it just as quickly and continues to devour the food in front of him.

Taking his finished drink, Yanjun decides to go over and convince the other to resell the cake to him. He really wants to eat it and it doesn’t matter how much he would need to pay for it.

Determined he walks over and sits down opposite of the small man with curly hair who looks at him questioningly.

“I’ll buy the strawberry cheesecake, how much do you want?”

“What?”

“I want that piece of strawberry cheesecake. Tell me a price and I’ll pay.”

Confused and a little shocked the other man observes Yanjun before he starts to laugh.

“No.”, he then replies in a serious tone and ignores Yanjun.

Getting annoyed and a little bit angry Lin Yanjun takes out 200 RMB* from his wallet before slamming them on the table and picking up the plate with his beloved cake.

“That should be more than enough.”

He then gets up with his drink in one hand and the plate in the other hand. To his dismay the smaller man doesn’t take it as lightly as he wished for and also gets up, one hand reaching out for the plate.

“I said no. It’s mine I’ve paid for it. Let go!”, he says while glaring at Yanjun. However, Yanjun doesn’t comply and tugs at the plate.

Both of them keep tugging at the plate until it slips out of their hands and lands on the floor. Plate shattering and the cake breaking in tiny crumbs.

They stare at the destroyed cake before glaring at each other.

“It’s all your fault!”, they both accuse the other.

The barista from the counter rushes over to them with a dustpan to clean up the mess the two costumers just made.

Yanjun’s manager came inside the cafe just in time to witness everything when he was going to check on him when he realized it took Yanjun longer than usual. He walks over to them and tugs Yanjun to the side giving him a look of disapproval before returning to the other two to apologize.

Then he tugs the still glaring and sulking singer with him to the van parked outside telling him to get inside and wait for him. His manager comes back a few moments later, face still adorned with the look of disapproval.

“You’re lucky no fans were around or inside the café and most people there will shut up about it. I’ve talked to the other guy and it seems like he didn’t recognize you, too. You should be more careful from now on. Your comeback is just around the corner and we don’t want any negative news about you.”

Yanjun swallows, he knows his manager is right and nods in agreement. “Won’t happen again.”

Satisfied with the answer the manager drives off.

-

You Zhangjing is fuming.

He was in such a good mood today. Zhangjing made plans to meet up with his best friend Lin Chaoze at the café close to the company the other is working at. He came early to try out the cake variety he has not eaten yet. The cafe is fairly well known for their great cakes so he was extremely happy to find all the cakes still available for him to try. 

Until a random guy in a blue denim jacket, wearing a mask, sunglasses and a cap ruined his day. Who does he think he is to think money can buy everything he wants. 

Zhangjing huffs. 

He hopes for the snob to never cross his path again or he would show him what it means to come in between You Zhangjing and his food. 

Busy with cursing the other in his mind Zhangjing doesn’t notice his best friend‘s arrival. Chaoze looks at Zhangjing confused and waves his hand in front of his face to get his attention. 

“Earth to Xiao You. Are you there?”

Hearing his friend’s voice stops him from cursing as he looks at the other and takes a deep breath to calm himself down.

“You will not believe what just happened.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've changed the chapters' names to plain "Chapter x" since I don't know how to name the next chapters and it wouldn't look nice to switch in between.


	6. Chapter 6

Xukun rewinds the events of the last few hours as he is sitting in a lounge chair inside the café. He didn’t plan to get taken out for a cup of coffee by the man standing in front of the counter ordering their drinks. Sure, the other has been treating him really nice but he barely knows him.

„Sorry I forgot to ask you about what you would like to have. I hope you’re fine with a Latte Macchiato.“, Ziyi tells him as he puts down the two cups of steaming coffee and takes the seat on the opposite side. 

„I think I’ve not introduced myself properly, yet. I’m Wang Ziyi.“

Ziyi holds up his right hand offering a handshake. 

“I’m Cai Xukun.”, Xukun replies, taking the offered hand and shakes it.

“I know.” Ziyi grins at him.

Xukun retracts his hand quickly as he realizes they both have been holding on a bit too long and nervously goes through his hair with the hand.

He doesn’t understand why he is always feeling nervous whenever he is close to the other. Maybe it was because he got caught in an awkward situation by him and still feels embarrassed. Xukun smiles and nods slightly, convinced by his own conclusion.

Ziyi watches Xukun’s expression changes adoringly.

“You’re really cute”, Ziyi says and watches Xukun’s face reddens. He loves how he can affect the black-haired boy this easily.

Xukun clears his throat and takes a quick sip from his coffee.

“Are you usually like this?”

“Like what?” Ziyi asks, his gaze never leaving Xukun even when he drinks from his cup.

“We barely know each other. As a matter of fact, we just introduced oneself a few minutes ago. Do you always take strangers out for coffee?”

“If they are just as cute as you, then maybe I will.” Ziyi winks. Xukun has to suppress a shriek that is trying to escape his throat. He isn’t sure what Wang Ziyi is trying to do but he seems to be making fun of him. He huffs slightly before he sits up straight and tries to make himself look more intimidating.

“Listen, you’ve been really nice to me and I thank you for inviting me to coffee but aren’t you going too far with this?”

Ziyi coos at the sight in front of him. Xukun in his eyes looks like a small kitten acting up on his owner. _Absolutely adorable._

His hand reaches out to ruffle the other’s hair.

Xukun widens his eyes. Did Wang Ziyi just ruffle his hair? Unacceptable!

He glares at the other angrily and fixes his hair quickly. Eyes not leaving Ziyi.

“I really enjoy your company. Would it be weird if I asked you to hang out with me more often?” Ziyi leans closer to Xukun, arms propped up on the table between them.

“Why?”, still not sure whether the other is joking with him or being serious.

“Don’t you have friends you can hang out with?” 

“I do. But I just like you.”, Ziyi replies honestly. 

To say Xukun is speechless is understated. Never has anyone be this blunt to him about wanting to be his friend. He guesses, he kind of thinks it’s cute? He is not sure. But there is some kind of warm feeling building up in his stomach making him all jittery.

-

Zhangjing takes a sip from his drink after he finished retelling what exactly happened to his friend. Chaoze looks at him in disbelief before he starts laughing.

“I should have come in a bit sooner but there was a sudden meeting with all dancers for the upcoming festival in a few months.”, Chaoze sighs.

“It sounds hilarious. He’s lucky you’ve not killed him for the what he did. But you really didn’t recognize him?”

Zhangjing shakes his head.

“How was I supposed to? He was all mummed from head to toe, is that how stars always walk around?”

“I guess he is pretty big if he is walking around like that.”, Chaoze shrugs and takes a sip from his friend’s drink. Zhangjing would have reacted violently if it would be anyone else but Lin Chaoze is his childhood best friend. They have known each other for longer than they both can remember.

“But let’s get back to you. You said you got news to share in your text this morning?”, Chaoze looks at Zhangjing expectantly.

The other nods and grins at him. “You know my contract with the company I’m signed under is going to end this month? I’ve got a few offers and one of them is from your company.”

He watches his best friend’s mouth drop in shock before the other jumps up from his seat to engulf him in a tight hug.

“Have you decided, yet? When is the signing?”, Chaoze asks in excitement.

“I’m considering. The offer is great but they want me to reveal my face.”, he sighs.

“Don’t you dare belittle yourself. You’re great and your fans love you.”

“They love my voice because they don’t know how I look like.”

Chaoze hits him. “I told you don’t belittle yourself! You are handsome, ok more cute than handsome but not as cute as me but you should know what I mean. And it’s not only me who thinks so, your fans have been supportive about this, too. I thought you were reading their comments?”

He’s been working as a faceless artist under the name of “azorachin” for a few years. Mostly doing Soundtrack titles and he has never revealed his face because the company deemed it as not necessary and not worth wile. Zhangjing has been content by this but now that his contract is ending and offers are piling in he has to reconsider everything. He really wants to venture out and do more than just soundtracks which he will not be able to do under the current company he’s signed under.

“I think you’re right.”, Zhangjing smiles at Chaoze, lucky to have him as his friend.

“Remember, regardless of what your decision will be, I will always support you!”

-

Xukun finds himself still seated in the lounge chair inside the café he’s been sitting in for over an hour now. Wang Ziyi has excused himself to go get them both another drink. He stares at his phone, the other’s phone number now saved within his contacts.

One second he was nodding, agreeing to Ziyi’s suggestion to meet up again without even realizing what he was doing. Then he found himself giving Ziyi his phone, watching the other typing in his own number before calling his own phone and saving Xukun’s number.

He scratches his head lightly. Still not completely processing what just happened.

 

“I got us the drinks to-go. As much as I like spending time with you, I will have to go back and finish some work for today now.”, Ziyi sighs as he walks back towards the table they were sitting at with two drinks in his hand.

Xukun looks up at him.

“Eh, sure. No problem. I should be leaving now anyway. Thank you for the drinks.”, he says as he takes the drink out of Ziyi’s outstretched hand.

Ziyi smiles back at him.

“I’ll walk you to the station before returning to the company.”

“There is no need, I can go alone. I’m sure you still have a lot of work waiting for you.”

Ziyi opens the door of the café and holds it open for Xukun to exit first. He doesn’t want to part ways with the other boy so soon but then again doesn’t want to come over too strong. He already achieved to get Xukun’s phone number and got to spend time with him today which is more than he could have wished for.

They bid their farewell before Xukun turns around and walks away from him towards the station.

Ziyi watches him leave with a content heart.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is like a cat hybrid!xukun au flying around in my head and I had to stop myself from accidentally switching to writing that one instead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually already up-loaded this chapter a few hours ago but Ao3 keeps deleting parts, so I'm trying once again. Hopefully the error is fixed now.

Xukun is surprised to find a text message from Ziyi the next morning on his way to his next scheduled shooting. 

He stares at the notification on his lock screen.  

 

_07:13_

_Unknown_

_Good morning, hope you have a great day today_ :)

_It’s Ziyi in case you’ve not saved my number, yet._

 

Xukun contemplates whether to answer or ignore it for now. It would seem weird if he answers immediately but he is not that kind of person to not answer.

He keeps staring until the cab driver tells him they have arrived at his destination. 

Xukun quickly pays the cab driver and gets off the car, postponing his reply to Ziyi to whenever he will have a break later. 

Walking inside he greets the staff members who are busy setting up the equipment and preparing the outfits for the shooting before stopping by the photographer. They go through the concepts and Xukun gets briefed on what the other is looking for. 

A staff member then goes over to tell Xukun that he is now expected for make-up and hair. Xukun thanks her and sets off towards the make-up station set up in the corner of the loft. His fellow label mate and co-model Jeffrey was already seated in one of the two seats in front of the station. They have worked on some pictorials for magazines together but never got to talk much so he is not so familiar with the other. 

He greets him as he sits down and let the stylist and make-up artist get to work.

Some pop music is playing silently in the background. Jeffrey gets up and leaves to get changed into the first outfit before getting a retouch and starts with his solo shoots.

Xukun observes his reflection in the mirror positioned on the make-up station. His hair got pulled back in lose waves split at a 6 to 4 ratio. His eyes are emphasized by a light eye shadow, the foundation making his skin look more flawless and his lips have a sheer lip gloss applied to them. Satisfied he thanks both staff member and gets up to get changed.

He watches Jeffrey’s shooting before they switch turns. To Xukun to be standing in front of the lens is as natural as breathing. He changes from one posture to another, teasing the camera with his expressions.

As exhausting and busy as it sometimes can get he would never regret his decision to join the industry for anything or anyone.

Finishing his turn, the photographer tells everyone to take a lunch break. Walking over to the food station set up along the wall opposite to the make-up station he picks up a plate and puts some of the food on it before sitting down at one of the tables and starts eating. Halfway through his food, another person sits down next to him. Xukun looks up from his food towards his seatmate to find a grinning Jeffrey looking back at him.

“Good job earlier.”

“You too, as always.”, Xukun swallows before answering.

“I saw you with Ziyi about a week ago. I guess we will be seeing each other more frequently from now on.”

“What do you mean?”, Xukun asks him confused. He’s surprised to find Jeffrey being so friendly all of a sudden as they have never talked much and with reference to Ziyi in particular.

“I’m Ziyi’s best friend, his best bro. The one and only. If Lin Yanjun ever tells you anything else it’s a lie, don’t believe him.”

Xukun chuckles at the hilarious statement. It seems like Ziyi does have friends and they seem to be close if they joke around like this.

“I only met Wang Ziyi twice so I’m not sure what you mean with more frequently.”

This time it’s Jeffrey who looks at Xukun confused.

“Ruibin, Ziyi’s secretary, told us you’ve met up with him yesterday, right?”, Jeffrey asks to which Xukun nods.

Jeffrey’s voice turns serious all of a sudden.

“Ziyi is kind of a workaholic, you could say he’s more or less living inside his office and his studio. It takes Yanjun and me a lot of persuasion and black mailing for him to leave for dinner with us occasionally. So, if I can be honest with you, we were both pretty surprised to hear Ziyi leaving his work to go get some coffee with you on his own free will.”

Xukun lets his words sink in. Not exactly sure what Jeffrey want to achieve by telling him all this.

„Please don’t feel pressured by my words but it’s just as his friends we are thankful to you.”

Jeffrey turns to him with a small smile which Xukun returns.

“He’s certainly blessed to have you guys as his friends.”

“Best friend, his one and only bro, remember Lin Yanjun is lying if he tells you any different.”, Xukun laughs out loud and Jeffrey joins in.

-

Lin Yanjun is in the studio recording songs for his new album with singer and rapper turned producer Zhu Xingjie when his phone starts to vibrate and tons of notifications appear on his lock screen. 

He asks the other for a short break before checking what is going on. His fans have him linked on different articles on weibo and Instagram. 

He takes a water bottle and drinks from it while clicking on one of the notifications at which an article on weibo opens within the app. Yanjun reads the article’s title and chokes on the water. 

**_Azorachin in talks of joining IP Corp._ **

He skims through the text quickly before getting up.

“I’ll be right back!”, he says as he sprints out the studio leaving behind a grumpy looking Xingjie who just rolls his eyes, used to Yanjun’s behavior. 

Yanjun clicks the elevator button impatiently, frowning and willing it to move faster. Once inside he rides the elevator to the 9th floor before storming out of it, passing Ruibin who tries to stop him and straight inside Ziyi’s office.

Slightly out of breath and painting he glares at Ziyi who’s sitting at his desk reading documents as calm as ever. 

“Did you know about this?”, Yanjun asks as he holds up his phone, weibo article still shown on the screen.

“Nice seeing you today too, how are the recordings going?”, Ziyi replies but doesn’t look up. 

Yanjun walks over to the desk and plops down on one of the seats. He puts his phone directly on the documents and in Ziyi’s vision.

“When did you plan to tell me?” 

Ziyi looks up from the phone and at Yanjun. 

“It’s not confirmed yet. He sent in a reply yesterday afternoon. He is interested but the human resource and planning departments are still sorting out everything with him regarding the contract details.”

Yanjun soaks in the information Ziyi is providing him when a silly smile emerges on his face making his dimples appear.

“I’ll finally meet him.”

“If he signs the contract.”

Yanjun’s smile disappears again and instead a frown and a slight pout takes its place on his face. 

“Can you not be a little bit more supportive? It’s my chance to meet him, you know how much I love his songs. But sadly, he’s never shown his face or appear on any shows.”, he sighs.

He’s been a fan since day one. Yanjun stumbled across azorachin’s weibo account by coincidence a few years ago and has been blown away by the other’s voice. When news got out that the singer signed a contract under the current company Yanjun thought that he could finally go and see him live but got disappointed as azorachin stayed hidden and only released songs as a faceless artist. 

It’s a well-known fact that he likes the singer and his songs. Even Lin Yanjun’s fans know about his infatuation with the faceless singer explaining the mass of notifications he received and is still receiving.

“If it makes you feel any better, we are the only company so far he has even replied to. Therefore, the possibility of him joining us is the highest for now.”, Ziyi tells Yanjun to which his smile returns.

“Just so you know, I call dips on working with him first.”

“Let’s not get too far ahead and talk about it after azorachin has signed the contract. Moreover, you have an album to prepare. Shouldn’t you be in the studio with Xingjie-ge?”, Ziyi grins at a mortified looking Yanjun.

“Oh shit, I should get back. Pray for my safety.”, the silver-haired male replies and gets up from the seat before rushing back to the studio he came from.

-

Ziyi gets back to work after Yanjun left his office. Signing the documents that are displayed on his desk before moving over to his editing studio. He goes through the submitted projects, takes notes on which parts have to be adjusted or changed and gives his approval to those which do not need any revisions anymore.

Times fly by and before he even realizes it’s already time for dinner. Ruibin packed up work two hours earlier but not before reminding Ziyi to eat and go home to rest.

Ziyi gets up and takes the project folders containing the notes he added and leaves the studio. He walks over to Ruibin’s desk and lay them down.

Checking his Apple Watch for the time he’s surprised to find a notification of a message from Xukun. Ziyi smiles upon seeing it and quickly taps on the text to open the message.

 

_15:23_

_Kunkun_ _❤_

_Hi, sorry for the late reply. I was at a shooting with Jeffrey, he told me he is your best bro? I guess you didn’t lie when you said you do have friends._

_And I saved your number just now._

 

Ziyi takes out his phone and types in a reply.

_18:44_

_I hope your shooting went well and am looking forward to seeing the results._ ;)

_He’s lying. I canceled that bro-ship weeks ago._

_What did you save me as?_

 

As he is about to lock and put away his iPhone X he sees the dots appearing and stops in his track.

 

_18:49_

_Kunkun_ _❤_

_I saved you as “Wang Ziyi”_

_What did you save me as?_

_18:50_

_Kunkun_ _❤_

-

Xukun reads Ziyi’s reply and chokes on nothing. Stomach making that strange churning again. He thinks he is coming down with the flu.


	8. Chapter 8

For the next few days Xukun always wakes up to Ziyi’s good morning messages. They occasionally text throughout the day, talking about general topics and the weather.

Xukun is sitting in one of the dance practice rooms waiting for Zhengting to finish his routine as they planned to go see the new Marvel movie that came out two weeks ago.

He’s typing a reply to Ziyi’s silly message when his phone gets taken away from him by a grinning Zhengting.

“Who are you texting?”, Zhengting asks as he walks away with the phone peeking at the conversation. “Wang Ziyi, very interesting.”

Xukun follows him quickly, trying to take his phone back but Zhengting as flexible as he is as a dancer keeps on dodging his hands and starts typing something in Xukun’s phone before pressing the send button.

Satisfied with his work he holds the phone out for Xukun to take.

“What did you do?”

“Helping out a friend.”, Zhengting shrugs and watches Xukun checking his conversation with Ziyi.

Instead of the reply he had already typed in something else was send to the CCO of IP Corp.

 

_16:53_

_Do you want to go see Infinity War with me? My best friend ditched me for his date_ :(

 

Xukun widens his eyes and looks at the other in pure shock.

“Why did you do that?”

Zhengting looks guiltily at his best friend.

“I kind of promised Yanchen to go see the musical ‘My Fair Lady’ with him this morning. I’m so sorry I totally forgot about our arrangement. But isn’t it the perfect chance for you to meet up with Ziyi?” he tries to lighten up the mood.

To say Xukun is hurt is an understatement, he is also disappointed and angry at the brown-haired man standing in front of him. Even if he disregards his feelings for Zhengting he still cares about their friendship and now seeing how the other is treating him and their friendship just devastates him.

Zhengting takes Xukun’s hands in his and looks at him with apologetic eyes.

“I’m really sorry. I will make up for it, promise. You know Yanchen, I couldn’t say no to his smile.”

Seeing Zhengting like this makes his anger disappear even though he doesn’t want to. Xukun sighs and looks away.

“Fine, whatever. You could have just told me instead of pulling that stunt. How am I supposed to explain that? This is so awkward.”

Zhengting smiles happily at him before engulfing Xukun in a bear hug before releasing him again.

“Thank you. You’re the best! And you should check whether he has answered first.”

Xukun sighs again. Holding up his phone and unlocking it, he checks it for any new messages. On one hand, he fears to see any kind of reply but on the other hand he is kind of excited to see whether Ziyi has replied or not.

Zhengting, as curious as he is, glances over Xukun’s shoulder, trying to find out the same.

 

_17:01_

_Wang Ziyi_

_I’ll be done with work in half an hour. Where are you, should I pick you up?_ :)

 

“OH. MY. GOD. You have a date!!” Zhengting shakes Xukun excitedly while he blankly stares at his phone, rereading the short message time and time again before looking at his best friend with a deathly glare.

“You better make up for it big time. This is going to be so awkward!”, he deflates and whines.

-

Ziyi has been overly happy the whole week. He always looks forward to the next message he is going to receive from Xukun. At first it seemed like Xukun was more hesitant in replying to Ziyi’s text but as days go by the number of messages they exchange started to grow. Still, they kept the conversations casual to Ziyi’s dismay.

Therefore, it surprises him when Xukun asks him to go watch a movie with him. It surprises him so much that it took him eight minutes to reply to the other before hastily sorting through the files on his desk, deciding which ones can be postponed until the next day and which ones he can finish today.

As he puts away the last documents a message from Xukun appears on his lock screen telling him to meet him in the lobby.

Ziyi quickly turns off his computer, grabs his jacket, bag and phone before leaving his office but doesn’t forget to lock the door. His heart drums against his chest excitedly the whole way down to the lobby. The big smile on his face couldn’t be contained and it widens the moment he catches a glimpse of Xukun who is leaning against the wall while looking into the distance seemingly deep in thought.

Ziyi walks out of the elevator and stops. He observes Xukun. He couldn’t help to think how stunning Xukun looks even in a simple oversized hoodie and ripped jeans. Ziyi lays his right hand on his chest trying to calm his heart down. Then he slowly walks over to Xukun stopping just next to the other.

As Xukun still doesn’t seem to notice Ziyi’s presence he decides to clear his throat to get the other’s attention. Xukun stumbles a bit to the side being slightly appalled by the sudden sound.

Ziyi reaches out and catches Xukun with one hand pulling him up against himself to avoid the other from falling.

“Be careful.”, Ziyi says softly as he looks down at Xukun and takes in his features from up close.  Xukun tilts his head up meeting Ziyi’s gaze with his own.

They stare into each other’s eyes, everything around them seems to disappear, time stops at this exact moment leaving both of them in their own little world.

Hours could pass and they would not notice.

However, they get pulled out of their trance by a loud exclamation coming from across the hall. Both of them turn their heads towards the sound to find two persons, one sitting on the floor as if he was just shoved away while the other is standing halfway covered by a pillar. The second one face palms himself and walks out of his hiding spot smiling and waving awkwardly at Ziyi and Xukun.

“We were just leaving, don’t mind us. And thank you Ziyi for taking my best friend out.”, Zhengting says as he pulls a grinning Yanchen up and with him out of the building. Xukun’s gaze lingers on the former longingly.

Ziyi notices it.

Realization hits him. It is not difficult to make out what is going on. Xukun is more than obvious with the longing gaze with which he was looking at Zhengting.

Ziyi observes him.

Xukun is in love with his best friend but that said friend is already in a relationship with someone else. Everything makes sense to him now. Xukun’s devastated state when he saw him in standing in the rain crying. It all adds up.

Ziyi releases his grip on Xukun’s arm making the other turn his head to look at him before noticing the close proximity and taking a step back.

“You don’t look so well. We don’t need to go see the movie if you are not feeling well. Besides… Zhengting was the one who send you the message. He kind of took my phone.”, Xukun tells him as he goes through his hair with his hand nervously.

Ziyi hides his disappointment that threatens to appear on his face and sends Xukun a small smile.

“You can be honest with me, no need for any excuses. If you don’t want to go see the movie with me, it’s fine. I won’t be mad at you. I just was looking forward to spend some time with you but seeing you now is already enough for me.”

Ziyi doesn’t care about the movie. He already went to see Infinity War on the day of the premiere with Jeffrey and Yanjun who insisted that they couldn’t wait a day longer for they would die and probably get spoiled on all social media platforms even though the producers have asked all fans to not post spoilers.

He waits for Xukun’s answer. The younger looks back at Ziyi, pondering on whether he should decline and return home or go with the flow and finally go see the movie he has been dying to see.

“Can we go see it if you don’t mind?”, he finally says and couldn’t help the smile on his face when he sees Ziyi’s smile return at his answer.

-

As Ziyi already went to see the movie he is already prepared for the most emotional parts but he didn’t expect Xukun to bawl his eyes out towards the climax of the movie.

He hands Xukun a handkerchief to wipe off his tears and pats him lightly on the back to console him as they watch the ending which still leaves Ziyi speechless.

They both stay seated and wait for the post credit scenes before leaving the cinema auditorium.

He lets Xukun process the movie and just stays next to him.

“It’s a lot to take in.”

Xukun nods in agreement.

“Wait here.”, Ziyi tells him and jogs towards one of the counters. He orders two popsicles and returns to Xukun and hands him one.

“Here for the post Infinity War feels.”

The other thanks him and takes the popsicle. The leave the cinema and starts strolling around while eating their ice cream.

 

Xukun watches Ziyi from the corner of his eye taking a closer look at him. Ziyi is dressed stylishly as all the other times they have met. He is wearing his hair down but sleeked back and Xukun catches a glimpse of what looks like a lightning bolt shaved on his left side. His gaze wanders down to the sharp jawline and he gulps.

For the first time since he has met Ziyi he realizes how good looking the other is.

-

_“Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank You.”_

 

The seatbelt sign above all seats on the plane turns on with the usual sound ring all throughout the plane. Flight attendants make their way through the rows of all passengers on board, checking whether the seatbelts are put on or not and asking those who have not pushed up their seats and trays to do so.

In one of the First-Class seats sits a teenager looking out the window at the night sky and the passing clouds. His mind made up, his eyes determined and his heart hardened.

“I’m back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also cried towards the end of Infinity War... can't believe we have to wait for almost another year to see the 2nd part. 
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know how you like (or hate) the story so far~


	9. Chapter 9

Zhu Xingjie stands inside Pudong International Airport at Terminal 1 and checks his watch before checking the board for a particular flight.

 

Terminal         Time     Flight   Destination     Remark

Terminal 1      20:10   KE895   Seoul              Arrived

 

The doors of the gate he is waiting at slide open and the first passengers from the flight are walking outside. Xingjie pulls his hand out to wave at the boy that just walked out and gets a wide smile in return before the other let go of his bag and suitcase and runs over to give Xingjie a tight hug.

“Huba-ge!!! I missed you so much!!!”, the blond-haired boy says.

Rolling his eyes Xingjie returns the hug.

“I would say the same but then again, you are still calling me by that name?”

“It’s because you look like Huba.”, the younger replies to receive a flick by Xingjie.

“Huang Minghao!”

“I told you it’s Justin. Call me Justin”, he pouts at Xingjie after releasing the hug.

“I’ll call you Justin if you stop calling me Huba.”, Xingjie retorts and walks over to pick up the bag Justin let go earlier. Taking the suitcase’s handle, he walks back to Justin.

“Let’s go.”

People around them have started to recognize Xingjie and are taking photos of them as they walk towards the exit. Arriving at his car at the car park he tells the younger to get in the car first while he puts the bags inside the trunk before getting in the driver’s seat.

“Why didn’t you ask your family to pick you up?”

“I don’t want to go home. At least not right away.”, Justin answers as he avoids the elder’s eyes.

Xingjie glances over to him once more before he pulls out of his parking space and makes his way to the highway.

“Where will you stay the night then?”, he asks while switching lanes.

Justin turns to him, first more reluctant seemingly contemplating about something before he puts on his puppy look.

“Can I stay over at your place?”

“Kid, my place is not a hotel you can just stay at.”, Xingjie laughs slightly.

“I know it’s better than any hotel! Please, Xingjie-ge~”, he whines.

“Oh, now my name is Xingjie again? What happened to Huba?”, the elder asks amused.

Justin whines more and pesters him until he agrees to let him stay over for the night.

“Fine, but just for one night. You can tell me the reason you suddenly left, went on to travel around the world and suddenly coming back then.”

Justin frowns at Xingjie’s request which doesn’t go unnoticed by the other. He glances over to the boy on the passenger seat again. Xingjie could see the change in Justin and wonders what made the carefree young boy he knows so well become so quiet all of the sudden. He seems to have matured within the last half year he was gone.

-

Lin Yanjun is sitting inside their company’s lobby watching the staff loading in the necessary bags and equipment into the second van parked outside the building. 

They were soon heading out for an outdoor shooting for his new album’s photobook. His manager Qin Fen walks over to him with a checkboard. 

„Almost everything is ready, we just have to wait for 10 more minutes and then we can leave.”, he then turns his head to and fro seemingly looking for someone or something.

“What are you looking for?”, Yanjun asks as he too is turning his head from side to side looking for what Qin Fen is looking for.

“We got a new assistant assigned to you. He should be here by now”, his manager answers while checking the time. 

“I’ll go check with the HR department, maybe they changed something and didn’t forward the new information.”

Yanjun nods and watches Qin Fen leave. 

He takes out his phone and goes through his social media accounts and posts new photos for his fans when he spots an unusual face gets let inside by the security guarding the entrance outside. He watches the brown-haired male walk over to the reception and recognition strikes him. 

That has to be the guy he met inside the café who stole the last cake. 

Curious and still carrying a grudge against the other he gets up and walks over to get a better idea on why the other got let inside.

He overhears the smaller one says he’s new and has an appointment with the Human Resource department. 

Yanjun smirks and walks over stopping the receptionist who is about to call the HR department to confirm the appointment.

“He’s with me.”, Yanjun assures the other before turning towards the smaller male next to him.

“You’re late, we have to leave now.”

He sets off towards the entrance to get into the van while texting his manager that he has found the new assistant and they were about to leave now. 

Yanjun stops midway noticing that the other is not following him.

He turns around with a frown and looks at the male still standing at the reception with a confused face.

“What are you waiting for? Follow me!”, he says but his assistant remains where he stood.

Sighing he walks back annoyed and grabs the other by the wrist and drags him with him. 

“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”, he says struggling to get out of Yanjun‘s grip.

Getting more and more annoyed Yanjun sends him a cold glare.

“You’re the new guy, right?”

The smaller nods.

“Then I’ve got the right person. Now I’m going to let go of your wrist and you should follow me obediently.”

Yanjun already feels dissatisfied by the person HR picked, he sure will have Qin Fen have a word with them later. He waits for the other to give him a sign of agreement and still sees the confusion in his eyes.

“What’s your name?”

“You Zhangjing”, Zhangjing answers.

“Great Zhangjing, have you been briefed about today’s events?”, Yanjun gives in after waiting for Zhangjing’s reply and receives a head-shaking. He wonders what HR is even doing if they send an assistant without briefing him first. Shaking his head in disappointment he looks at the seemingly younger male in front of him. 

“We’re leaving for my photobook shooting in”, he looks at his watch to check the time, “two minutes. You will come with me and do as I instruct. Got it?”

Zhangjing looks at him with the confusion that has not left his eyes from the minute the silver-haired man started dragging him with him. He feels slightly intimidated by the others stare and slowly nods.

“Great, let’s go”, Yanjun smiles slightly at him, making his dimples appear.

“Ehm, can you let go of my wrist?”, Zhangjing points at Yanjun’s hand that is still holding his wrist to which the taller lets go quickly.

Straightening his posture Yanjun turns around and walks through the entrance with Zhangjing following him with a safe distance between them. 

Once he steps outside the fans’ calls and cameras’ shutter sounds increase. He waves at the crowd that is standing behind a fence with a smile before getting into the van. Yanjun gestures for Zhangjing to follow him inside and watches the other reluctantly do as he was told. 

Zhangjing makes a pensive face before he turns to Yanjun but the singer holds up a hand stopping him before he could utter anything. 

“Do your job properly or I will tell my manager to report this to HR and you will lose this position faster than you think. Now be quiet and let me sleep”, he says with closed eyes trying to take nap for the two-hour-long ride that is going to take them to their shooting location not seeing the annoyed and disbelieving look the other is giving him and the gesture of wanting to strangle the singer who is already drifting off to dreamland.

-

Zhangjing watches the singer, whose name he picked up when the other’s manager was talking to him, posing in front of the photographer. He is holding a water bottle and a towel in each hand waiting on stand by for whenever the silver-haired male needs them. Zhangjing wonders why he has to do this when he clearly was meant to go to a debriefing after signing the contract with IP Corp. last week. Confusion is still written clearly on his face. From the corner of his eyes he notices Qin Fen, Lin Yanjun’s manager, beckoning him over so he does. 

“I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. I’m Qin Fen, Lin Yanjun’s manager.”, the other introduces himself, hand outstretched for a handshake.

Zhangjing puts the towel he was holding in his right hand on his left arm before returning the handshake.

“I’m You Zhangjing.”, he replies with a small smile.

He watches Qin Fen gasping in shock after hearing his name.

“Oh god. You’re not Lu Dinghao.”

Of course, he is not Lu Dinghao, Zhangjing thinks as he just introduces himself with his name. 

Qin Fen face palms and shakes his head disbelievingly making the confused Zhangjing more irritated.

“God this is huge! I’m so sorry, we mistook you for Yanjun’s new assistant. His name is Lu Dinghao and he was supposed to meet us at the company. Yanjun probably thought you are him since I didn’t tell him the name.”, Qin Fen explains to him while he takes out his phone to check it for any messages.

“I shouldn’t have turned my phone on silent. Let me sort this out. I’m so sorry”, he apologizes before walking a few steps away to make a call to the HR department.

Zhangjing stands there in disbelief. He knew something was wrong the moment he got dragged away and now he missed his appointment because a certain singer just had to assume things. Then again Qin Fen seems oddly familiar, they seem to have met each other somewhere before but Zhangjing cannot remember where.

“Hey assistant, I want some water!”, he hears Lin Yanjun call him over.

Feeling his anger rise Zhangjing turns around with a deathly glare, walks over to the other and thrusts the water bottle and towel into Yanjun’s hands.

“What kind of attitude is this?”, Yanjun asks in disbelief. Zhangjing just huffs and walks away from him and over to Qin Fen who just finished his call and sighs in relief.

Zhangjing looks at him expectantly, waiting for the other to tell him what the result of the phone call is. He hopes this does not affect his future in the company as it is not his fault.

Qin Fen smiles and reassures him that he has cleared the misunderstanding and his appointment has been rescheduled for the next day making Zhangjing sigh in relief too before thanking the manager.

“Since you’re not the new assistant you don’t have to do any of the work but you will have to wait until the shooting has ended before you can leave with us since we cannot send you off with any of the two vans.”

Great, Zhangjing thinks sarcastically. He looks around, they are in the middle of nowhere which means he will have to stay and waste the whole day with watching Lin Yanjun posing in front of the camera.

-

Café “Next station: Happiness” is bustling with people coming in and out talking animatedly. Cai Xukun stands in line waiting for his turn at the counter as he thinks about what drink he would like to order. He feels a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head, he finds Ziyi smiling down at him.

They have not seen each other since going to see the movie together as both of them have been busy with work and projects.

“Long time no see”, Xukun returns the smile before noticing Jeffrey standing behind the smiling Ziyi with a wide grin on his face. “Oh, hi Jeffrey.”

The three of them move forward in line.

“There will be a party tonight hosted by the brand we endorsed last time, were you also invited Xukun?”, Jeffrey asks him as Xukun nods as a reply.

“I’m grabbing a coffee before getting ready for the party. I guess I will see you tonight, too?”

They start talking about it as Ziyi watches them. He envies how carefree Xukun is around others compared to when he is around him and wishes he could also interact with him the same way.

Jeffrey turns towards Ziyi when it’s Xukun’s turn to order and sees the look on Ziyi’s face. He pats Ziyi on his shoulder encouragingly. With each of them holding a cup of different kinds of coffee they leave the café together.

“You know my bro Ziyi will also be there tonight. As you said that you don’t have anyone to accompany you as your partner you could be each other’s plus one instead.”, Jeffrey suggests. Both Xukun and Ziyi stop instantly and look at Jeffrey before looking at each other and then away again. Both of their faces turning slightly red.

“Silence means you both agree, I’ll see you two together at the party tonight”, Jeffrey turns towards both of them and winks before running off with his coffee.

Ziyi looks at Xukun from the corner of his eye, watching the younger sip at his cup. “Do you want to be my partner for tonight?”, he asks which makes Xukun spill some of his coffee.

He waits for the other’s reply and only gets a slight nod in return.

Ziyi’s smile widens excitedly.

“Send me your location and I’ll come pick you up later.”, he ruffles Xukun’s hair when the other gives him another cute nod as an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all~ thank you for leaving comments :)   
> I'll try to write longer chapters but no promises. It depends on how much time I have to write them.


	10. Chapter 10

Against his resolute decision Zhu Xingjie let Justin stay over at his place for longer than one night. Even though the younger always disrespects him by calling him “Huba” he finds himself having a soft spot for the teenager. They’ve known each other ever since Xingjie started at IP Corp. as a trainee. Always seeing the little kid follow his father to work before roaming around the building peeking in each and every room. As Huang Minghao is one of the board directors’ son no one questioned his presence and got used to seeing him around pretty fast. It’s no surprise that almost every employee greets him with open arms and fond hugs when he comes in today with Xingjie who leaves him to roam around like usual and gets back to work. 

Justin gets treated to biscuits and cake by the long-time employees as he walks around and greets them. He stops at one room peeking inside first before knocking at the open door to let the person inside know about his presence. A male with shoulder long light brown, wavy hair sits inside the office at the desk facing the window, glasses propped on his nose. He turns his head from the screen he was facing and looks over to the door before his face lit up with a fond smile. 

“I was already wondering when you were coming to see me brat.”

Justin walks inside and around the desk to give the other a hug.

“I missed you too Rui-ge. I thought you would be at Xingjie-ge’s place.”

“Why would I be at his place? And you call him by his name instead of Huba when he is not around?”, the smaller asks amused. 

“Please don’t tell him but I think he does like being called Huba.”, Justin shrugs playfully.

Zhou Rui gets up and eyes Justin from head to toe. “Let me take a look at you. How can you grow even taller in half a year you were gone and your hair is blond now?”

“I needed a change and thought why not. I’m still handsome though.”, the younger answers as he ruffles his own hair. 

Zhou Rui grimaces at Justin’s statement. “At least you didn’t lose your confidence.” 

They both get seated as Justin’s eyes wander around Zhou Rui’s office. “Your office looks nice, maybe lacking a bit of color and definitely a photo of me but nice nonetheless. Do you like working in this department?”, he asks as his eyes focuses on the elder again.

“It’s different from what I’m used to but it’s nice knowing I can influence each and every artist signed under IP Corp. and assign them projects as I see fit.”

Zhou Rui leans over his desk and observes Justin for a while. “You and Chengcheng still haven’t talked to each other I assume?” Seeing the change in the younger’s expression already gives him the answer he was expecting.

A slight frown appeared on Justin’s face the moment Zhou Rui mentioned the one person he didn’t want to think about but after being away for a few months in which he had time to process everything, he learnt to control his emotions. Frown disappearing behind the usual happy smile he was known for. 

“I don’t need to talk to him. We are in no way acquainted anymore.”

-

Lin Yanjun watches Qin Fen and Zhangjing talk to each other while he is getting his final retouch. He was about to tell his manager to fire the new assistant for his rude attitude when the elder explained to him about the situation. His manager also mentioned the important appointed the other missed because of him making him feel slightly guiltier. He couldn’t blame Zhangjing for acting the way he did but only himself and shouldn’t have assumed things before checking them. Yanjun follows the photographer’s instructions and takes the last set of photos while the staff is already packing up everything to be ready to head back to Shanghai as soon as they finish.

He gets inside the van when they wrapped up the shooting after thanking each person for their hard work. He finds Zhangjing was already sitting inside the van and eating some bread. Yanjun takes a closer look and realizes that the other is eating his bread. He quickly snatches the package away but there is none left.

Zhangjing who is still chewing on the piece of bread looks at him surprised but is met with a pair of furious eyes. “Who allowed you to eat these?!”, Yanjun shouts at Zhangjing making him flinch and choke on the bread.

Zhangjing reach out for a water bottle and takes a big gulp trying to flush it down. He coughs a few times before calming down and returning Yanjun’s glare with his own. “What is your problem?”

“My problem is you going around and eating other people’s things without permission!”

“I did ask your manager and he said it’s ok. Sorry for being hungry after being dragged here by a certain someone.”, Zhangjing crosses his arms not giving in. Yanjun slams his hand against tinted window of the car trapping the smaller one between his arm and the seat. 

“Are you trying to get back at me for the piece of cake?”, he asks the other who is trying to lean back into the seat as far as possible. 

“What nonsense are you talking about? What cake...?”, Zhangjing stops and suddenly remembers where he has seen Qin Fen. Already angered his fury grows with the memory of the crumbled cake. He pushes Yanjun away from himself with both hands making the other slam against the front seat with his back. 

“You were that snob in the café! What audacity do you have to accuse me of things!”

The front door opens just before their fight reaches a higher magnitude and Qin Fen climbs in the driver’s seat. He turns to the back and looks at both of their faces. “What happened? You both look like a world war started.”

Yanjun while rubbing the spot on his back which hit the seat turns his gaze towards his manager. “You allowed him to eat my bread?” Qin Fen looks at him confused as to why the younger is now directing his anger towards him and nods before he understands what was going on. “Don’t tell me you two fought because of that. Are you serious? Yanjun we got a lot in the back I can get you another package.”

Zhangjing rolls his eyes. “See, I told you.”

Yanjun just huffs and turns away from them indignant to admit his fault. 

Qin Fen shakes his head before he gets off the car again to grab another package of bread for Yanjun.

They drop Zhangjing off at his place on their way back. Yanjun is still sulking in the backseat. His manager looks into the rearview mirror and observes him. 

“You could have been nicer to him. He missed an important meeting because of you. Luckily I was able to explain the situation and got it rescheduled for him. Besides, he is a really nice guy. He didn’t have to anything but he helped the staff with cleaning up and loading in the equipment earlier.”

Yanjun knows his manager is right but he is just too stubborn and his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit it.

-

Within a fogged-up bathroom Wang Ziyi steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. With another towel, he dries off his hair before applying his skin care products in front of his vanity wide smile never leaving his face.

As much as Jeffrey loves to annoy Ziyi he proved himself to be the bro he needs when it matters the most. Walking inside his walk-in closet he picks out a suit and puts it on. Then Ziyi goes through his collection of cufflinks and watches, he chooses the most suitable pieces for the occasion and puts them on. He leaves his hair open and only sleek them back slightly.

Finishing up his look with styling his hair he takes his purse and car key before checking his phone for Xukun’s message. The other has already send him the address of the salon he is visiting for his styling and the estimated time he will be ready. Seeing as he still has some time Ziyi decides to leave his apartment and stop by a store to get something matching for him and Xukun. Walking through the store he considers the options displayed not sure on what to pick as it is not an official date and he doesn’t want to overwhelm the younger and scare him off.

Ziyi stops in front of a display cabinet with pocket squares and sees a red pocket square in the shape of a rose. Thinking about how perfect it will suit Xukun he makes up his mind and calls over a shop assistant telling her to wrap it up for him before picking another one in the same color for himself. The shop assistant comes back with his purchase and credit card and helps him adjust the pocket square he picked for himself.

Satisfied with the look he thanks her before leaving with the present in the small paper bag. Ziyi gets into his Aston Martin Vanquish Ultimate and sets off to pick up Xukun.

Arriving in front of the salon he parks his car and gets off with the paper bag in his hand. He walks inside the building going up to the floor in which the salon is located at and asks the receptionist whether Xukun is ready. She tells him he can go inside and guides him to the room Xukun is getting his make-up and hair done. Ziyi thanks her and looks inside to find Xukun sitting in front of the mirror with the hair stylist still working on his hair which has been died a dark-brown slightly goldish shade. He meets the other’s eyes through the mirror and sends him a smile before walking over and taking the seat next to Xukun with his body turned towards him.

“I’m almost done.”, Xukun tells him without turning his head letting the stylist finish up the last touches.

“You look good with this hair color.”, Ziyi compliments him making Xukun conscious of his appearance.

The hair stylist gives Xukun the sign that she is done with his hair and gives him some directions on what to not do to avoid ruining it. Xukun attentively listens to her instructions and thanks her for the good job before excusing himself to go get changed into his suit. Ziyi stays there and waits for him, declining one of the staff offering him some beverage as they will be leaving as soon as Xukun is done changing.

He always thought that Xukun is the most beautiful human being he has ever met but Ziyi is still left speechless when the other walks out of the changing room and stops in front of him. Xukun fiddles with his jacket as he stands in front of him still conscious of his appearance as Ziyi gets up from his seat.

“Relax, you look amazing Kunkun.”, Ziyi tells him while putting a calming hand on the other’s shoulder. “I’ve prepared something for you since we are going to the party together.”

Ziyi turns around and takes out the box with the pocket square before turning back to Xukun. “I saw this and thought of you.” He opens the box and reveals the rose shaped pocket square to the younger. He helps Xukun put it on and adjusts it for him.

Ziyi turns his gaze once he is satisfied with the look back to Xukun’s face which has turned the same shade of red as the pocket square, eyes avoiding Ziyi’s. “Let’s go”, he says and takes the younger’s hand in his leading them both out of the salon.

 

Xukun puts his free hand which Ziyi is not holding on his chest to calm his heart down but just feeling the warmth radiating from the other’s hand makes his heart beat uncontrollable and his hands sweaty.

 


	11. Chapter 11

In front of the hotel where the party is being held the reporters are busy with taking photos and trying to get a few interviews from the guests arriving one after another. Actors, models, artists and other famous celebrities as well as entrepreneurs are invited thus the high interest in the event.

Xukun has been to many of these events but until now he was always driven to these by one of the company’s managers since he doesn’t have a driver’s license let alone a car. Therefore, being picked up by Ziyi and going to the party together in the other’s car makes him feel strange. He looks around the inside of Ziyi’s Aston Martin and admires the look. Black leather with brown decorative seams covers most parts of the interior of the black sports car giving the car a clean and sophisticated feeling. Xukun can’t help but to think how well suited the car is to Ziyi, he would even say they are a perfect match.

Xukun glances over to Ziyi who is driving confidently and jamming to the music coming from the speakers. He notices the other’s smile before he turns towards Xukun. “Do I have something on my face?”, Ziyi asks as he touches his own face trying to see whether his guess is right but doesn’t find anything unusual.

Embarrassed about being caught Xukun turns his gaze away and shakes his head. “I was only admiring your car. It’s really nice.“

“If you like it I can let you take my car out for a drive.”, Ziyi offers to which Xukun turns to him astonished. “You would let me drive your car?”

“If you want to.”, he answers but Xukun only sighs while he leans back against the leather seat. “But I don’t have a license.”

Ziyi stops the car in front of a red light. He turns his head towards Xukun and sees the other pouting cutely. “You can once you get your driver’s license, I won’t retreat my offer.”, he tells the other making his eyes light up hopefully.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

-

They arrive at the hotel and Ziyi is the first one to get out of the car giving the parking valet his car key before walking over to the other side where Xukun also already got off the car and is standing there waiting for him. The crowd has doubled with fans and fan sites joining the reporters and calls from every side can be heard. As Ziyi rarely leaves his office and does not have as many activities as a model his fans take each and every event he appears at serious and are taking as many photos as possible.

Hearing his name Ziyi stops and waves at the crowd with Xukun following him and doing the same. Reporters try to call them over to get an exclusive interview but one of the staff asks them to move forward and inside the hotel. They both stop at the screen lined up in the lobby of the hotel with the logo of the host’s brand to let their photographer take some photos before moving on to sign their names on it.

A staff guides them to the main hall where other guests are already mingling. Within those is Jeffrey who is talking to another model but excuses himself when he spots them. He comes over and greets Ziyi with their bro hug and gives Xukun a friendly hug too.

“Hope you don’t mind since we kind of know each other better now. I regard you as one of my bros, too.”, Jeffrey tells Xukun as he releases the other from his hug. “And I’m glad to see you two came here together”, he sends Ziyi a quick knowing wink.

The three of them walk over to one of the tables in the middle of the hall which is reserved for them and settle down. A waiter comes over to offer them each a drink but Xukun declines politely and asks for a non-alcoholic drink.

“You don’t drink?”, Ziyi asks him once the waiter comes back with some water for Xukun.

“I do but I get drunk pretty easily so I try to avoid alcohol the best I can.”, Ziyi nods in understanding.

“But that’s pretty difficult if you have to attend these kind of events, isn’t it?”, Jeffrey asks him as he nips on his drink and Xukun nods in agreement. “Kunkun don’t worry I’ll help you keep an eye on you.”, Ziyi says and puts a reassuring hand on Xukun’s back. They both look at each other and into each other’s eyes forgetting where they are right now. Jeffrey who is sitting next to Ziyi gets shills from the scene and looks away feeling the weight of the third-wheel that he just turned into. Ziyi and Xukun keep exchanging glances fully ignoring Jeffrey until he and Ziyi get hugged from the back making them both startled.

They turn towards each other to find a grinning Lin Yanjun. “Missed me?”, Yanjun asks and straightens up to greet the other two who got up from their seats properly. “Not really bro. What took you so long?”, Jeffrey asks making Yanjun sigh in annoyance. “It’s a long story.” Right before he starts his rant Yanjun spots Xukun on Ziyi’s other side and a grin reappears on his face sending Ziyi a knowing look before he walks over to Xukun and sits down on his other side while facing him. “Nice to meet you, I’m Lin Yanjun and Ziyi’s best bro”, he holds out his right hand for the other to shake.

Xukun turns towards Yanjun and shakes his hand but chuckles amused with Jeffrey joining him making Yanjun and Ziyi both confused. “I’m Cai Xukun. Nice to meet you, too.”

“Did we miss something funny?”, Ziyi asks them both still looking confused but they just glance at each other knowingly. “It’s a secret between us.”, Jeffrey answers him with a wink towards Xukun. Ziyi looks from Jeffrey to Xukun and back to the first, he pouts and frowns slightly, feeling left out and asking himself on how and when his bro and the one he likes had the time to have an inside joke without him knowing about it.

The MC of the event makes an entrance on the stage in the middle of the venue making all of the guests stop their conversations and return to their seats. The four of them get joined by their fellow label mates who were also invited. Within them is Zhou Rui, former model and singer of IP Corp. who also endorsed the brand and is now mainly working in the planning department after he caught an illness which damaged his vocal cords.

Together with the other guests they watch the MC go through the introductions of the important guests and clap whenever it is appropriate.

The evening goes on with live acts and a small fashion show before Jeffrey and Xukun are asked to go up the stage as they are the current endorsing models and photos of their photoshoot are shown on the screen. 

The MC turn away from the screen and towards them both when the screen turns black and the lights back on. “Thank you two for your good job.”, he drinks a toast to them to which all guests join him. Jeffrey and Xukun also get a glass of champagne to join them. 

“So, did you come with anyone to the party as your partner?”, the MC asks them but looks at Jeffrey first since he is standing closer to him.

Jeffrey takes the microphone and answers. “Yeah, I came with my sister but she abandoned me for her friends over there.”, he gestures to the other side of the hall and his sister waves back with a huge smile making everyone laugh in amusement and continues, “But I’m glad I have my bros here with me.” and holds up his glass of champagne sending Ziyi and Yanjun a toast which they reciprocate.

“Oh, Wang Ziyi and Lin Yanjun, right? Speaking of them, we have noticed that Xukun came to the party today with Wang Ziyi as his date?”, the MC asks Xukun curiously when he was trying to only nip on his champagne and startles him. All eyes turn towards Ziyi and back to Xukun waiting for Xukun’s reply. A hint of red appears on his face making the guests swoon over his cuteness. Xukun is still contemplating on how to answer when Ziyi appears next to him and takes the microphone out of his hand. Their eyes meet briefly and Ziyi sends him a reassuring smile before turning to the MC. “You’re right, we came here as each other’s partner but Kunkun is shy so please don’t tease him Bu Fan.”, Ziyi replies confidently.

“Alright, alright.”, the MC Bu Fan gives in. Ziyi takes Xukun’s hand and guides him from the stage. Jeffrey also leaves the stage and returns to his seat while Ziyi takes Xukun out of the room to a secluded side wing of the hotel.

“Where are we going?”, the younger asks nervously while he looks around his surroundings. 

Ziyi stops and turns around when he finds a place they can be alone without anyone disturbing them, his gaze meets Xukun’s. He takes a deep breath before he gives the other a small shy smile. “I want to tell you something and I hope this will not scare you off.”, he pauses and looks deeply into the other’s eyes.

“You may or may not have noticed but I really like you. As in more than friends or bros.”

Silence follows Ziyi‘s confession as Xukun is left speechless. He opens and closes his mouth repeatedly but still doesn’t know how to reply. 

“But I... I... already...”, Xukun stammers, not able to from a full sentence.

“I know you like someone else but I still hope you will give me a chance Kunkun.”, Ziyi continues with hopeful eyes. Xukun just couldn’t decline Ziyi while looking into those eyes and finds himself nodding slightly, still unsure about his prompt decision. However seeing how Ziyi‘s eyes light up with glee gives Xukun a warm and satisfied feeling he cannot pinpoint before getting engulfed in what has to be the tightest hugs he has ever received. 

Xukun excuses himself when they return to the main hall and tells Ziyi to go back to their table first. He walks over to the bar needing something to calm himself down. Xukun doesn’t understand why his heart is beating so rapidly even though he knows that he still has feeling for Zhengting and shouldn’t be affected so much by Ziyi’s confession. He orders some water and waits among the other guests for his drink. The scene from earlier replaying in his mind over and over again and he tries to will down the emerging blush and covers his face with his hands.

“Sir, your drink is ready.”, he hears one of the bartenders say and reaches out taking the glass that is put on the counter and drinks it in one shot. Xukun coughs in surprise as he realizes that the drink was not the water he ordered but a cocktail. He curses in his mind, already feeling the alcohol starting to flow through his veins and making his mind dazed. Trying to get back to the others as quickly as possible he starts staggering halfway and clings to the closest thing to him which he thinks is a wall. A soft one that strangely reminds him of Wang Ziyi as it also smells like him. Xukun turns his head up to take a closer look at it and sees two Ziyi’s swaying in front of his face. He chuckles and points at him.

“You look like Ziyi!”, he chuckles while holding a hand in front of his mouth to hide his laugh.

“Kunkun did you drink alcohol?”, the other asks him worriedly as he remembers what Xukun told them earlier and receives a frown from the younger. “I wanted water! But it wasn’t water”, Xukun pouts at Ziyi making the elder’s heart swoon.

Ziyi looks away trying to resist the other’s cuteness while still stabilizing him with his arms around the other’s waist. “I’ll take you home. You need a good night sleep.” He quickly sends a text message into the group chat with Jeffrey and Yanjun before guiding Xukun out of the hall and asks a staff to order him a fill-in driver since he has also drink a few glasses of champagne and doesn’t want to risk Xukun and his life. He waits in the lobby with a suddenly touchy and overly cute Xukun for the fill-in driver who just arrived and is getting his car from the car park.

Xukun who is sitting next to him pokes him in the cheek to get his attention. When Ziyi turns his head towards him he is greeted with a widely smiling Xukun who’s eyes are closed and with both of his index fingers pointing at his own cheeks. Ziyi groans, the palpitation of his heart increases and he has to hold himself back from kissing Xukun right there right now.

Drunk but incredible adorable Xukun will be his death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments ~
> 
> I was writing this while watching a Chinese crime drama ... so it took me way longer than it should have XD


	12. Chapter 12

Ziyi has never been gladder for his car to have 4 seats than now. The fill-in driver helps him place Xukun in one of the backseats before Ziyi gets in the one next to him to keep an eye on Xukun during the ride. He reaches out for the younger’s seatbelt having to lean over him to grab the belt before securing it in the buckle. His face moving in close to Xukun’s which Ziyi only notices when he turns his face around and his gaze meets the other’s dazed eyes before moving down to Xukun’s lips. He gulps and slowly moves away diverting his eyes to a point in the car where he can calm down. 

The fill-in driver gets in the driver’s seat and calls Ziyi’s Name a few times but to no avail before taping on his arm to get his attention. Ziyi gets out of his engrossed state and turns his attention to the driver with a questioning look.

“I need to know the address.”, the driver tells him.

“Ah right, sorry.”, Ziyi stops and realizes that he forgot to ask Xukun for his address when he picked him up at the beauty salon. He didn’t think that the younger would be in this state when they were on their way to the party or else he would have done so earlier. He turns his head towards the one sitting next to him, trying to see whether the other would remember his own address in his dazed state to find Xukun dozed off, head leaning against the side of the car. Ziyi contemplates on what to do, he doesn’t have the phone number of Xukun’s close friends to ask them and no one from the company with the authorization to look into personal information would be in the office at this time and taking him to a hotel and leaving him there alone while he is drunk and not able to take care of himself is out of the question.

He sighs before telling the fill-in driver his own address deciding to let Xukun sleep over in the guest room. The car departs and Ziyi leans back against the headrest with closed eyes suppressing a yawn and trying to rest briefly for the duration of the trip home when he feels a weight lands on his left shoulder and opens his eyes again and glances down to find Xukun’s head leaning against his shoulder. He watches him and notices some hair strands have gotten loose and fell over the younger’s face, Ziyi brushes them with his right hand away. Watching the other sleep peacefully, he couldn’t stop help himself from planting a gentle kiss on the other’s forehead.

They arrive at his apartment shortly after and the driver parks his car in his parking space and helps Ziyi get Xukun from the backseat to the front seat and then on his back before giving him his car key and bid his farewell. Ziyi locks his car and adjusts Xukun’s position on his back before walking towards the elevator. The other stirs slightly and mumbles something incomprehensible against Ziyi’s neck making him ticklish. They arrive at Ziyi’s floor and he carries Xukun towards the guestroom, places him gently on the bed to not wake the younger up and takes off his shoes. Ziyi watches the other pondering on whether he should take more clothes off for him to sleep more comfortable and catches himself turning red from the thought of undressing Xukun.

“What are you thinking about?!”, he asks himself and takes a few deep breaths to calm down while fanning himself with his hands. His attention returns to the younger as he turns from side to side on the bed with a slight frown on his face and seemingly looking for a more comfortable position. Ziyi watches him and makes up his mind, he is only helping Xukun and making him sleep better nothing more and he definitely is not taking advantage of the other. He nods in satisfaction and sits down next to Xukun. Ziyi slowly removes the jacket first and put it around a coat hanger he took out of the closet of the guest room. Then he starts unbuttoning the younger’s white button-down shirt while trying to distract his mind with thoughts of the pile of work he has in his office to not get any inappropriate thoughts when the body stirs and Xukun opens his eyes. Ziyi halts midway, half of the buttons unbuttoned and glances towards the other’s face meeting Xukun’s eyes which looked around his surroundings with sleepy eyes before meeting Ziyi’s. They both stare at each other for a few moments. Ziyi let’s go of the buttons in his hand as if they are burning his fingers and go through his hair while looking away trying to play down the situation not noticing the younger’s smile.

“I’m … it’s not what you may think.”, he stutters and feels a hand wrapping around his arm. He turns around curiously and slightly nervous of what the other’s reaction will be before getting pulled down by the boy lying on the bed and his body being wrapped around by the younger’s body. “Such a huge teddy”, he hears the other mumble as he has closed his eyes again and is snuggling against Ziyi’s chest. Ziyi can hear his own heart start pounding fast against his chest because of the close proximity they both are in now. He tries to pry off the younger’s arms and legs but the hold just tightens the more he tries so Ziyi sighs and gives up. He gulps every time Xukun moves either snuggling more against him or just finding a more comfortable position while keeping Ziyi locked between his limbs. The taller curses in his mind, asking himself and god how he can survive this night without doing anything he will regret the next day.

Being tired from work and the party Ziyi falls asleep with a smile eventually and also wraps his arms around Xukun’s body during his sleep.

-

Xukun wakes up and feels his head pounding in pain and his mouth dry with the aftertaste of alcohol. He frowns and massages his temple with his right hand while rolling on his back. Opening one of his eyes he glances to the nightstand on his right wanting to check the time but finds an unfamiliar place. Xukun closes his eye again, thinking that his mind is playing tricks on him before checking the nightstand once more but to his dismay nothing changed. His eyes wander from the right side to the ceiling and to his left side before catching a glimpse of someone lying next to him with the face turned away from him. He blinks a few times willing his headache and sleepiness away and pokes the side of the other person. The body moves and turns towards him and Xukun widens his eyes seeing that it is Ziyi who is now wrapping his arm around him and pulling him closer. His body tense up and freezes as he lies under Ziyi’s arm and his face directly in front of the other’s chest. As Xukun breathes he can smell the elder’s scent making him feel flustered. He tries not to move to not wake the other up but can’t help it when the thirst from the dryness of his mouth can’t be ignored any longer. Xukun tries to lift Ziyi’s arm up to get out of his hold but wakes the other up by doing so. Their eyes meet and Xukun feels like a deer in the headlights, he quickly puts Ziyi’s arm down and jumps out of the bed looking around for somewhere he can hide himself in to avoid the awkwardness. Spotting the en-suite bathroom he runs inside and locks the door. After he has calmed himself down a bit he walks over to the sink and splashes water against his face and rinses his mouth to get rid of the dryness and trying to satisfy his thirst for now by this until he gets some drinkable water. He observes his skin and regrets not being able to remove the make up the night before. Xukun looks around the bathroom, contemplating on whether it would be alright for him to just go through the cabinets in search for some make-up remover and maybe a toothbrush when a knock makes him jolt in surprise.

“Kunkun? Are you alright? I’ve bought you some towels, a toothbrush and some clothes you can change into. I think your suit should be all wrinkled up now.”, he hears Ziyi say from outside the bathroom. Xukun looks down at his outfit and agrees with Ziyi’s statement as he sees the halfway unbuttoned shirt all wrinkled up. He pauses and stares at the shirt, taking a few moments to let the discovery sink in, wondering why it is only halfway unbuttoned. He shrugs and walks over to the door. Opening the door, he finds Ziyi with disheveled hair and still in the suit from yesterday standing in front of him, in his hands the clothes and towels as well as a toothbrush and even some make-up remover and skin care products.

“I think you will need these, you can take a shower in this bathroom there should be everything you need in the cupboards and drawers inside. If there is anything else you need you can tell me, I’ll be in my room across the floor.”, Ziyi tells him as he hands over the things he was holding and leaves the room to go to this own.

Xukun starts with removing his make-up, washing his face and brushing his teeth before taking a hot shower. He sniffs at the shower gel and is reminded of Ziyi’s scent which makes him all flustered again as he is also reminded of the close proximity they were in earlier on the bed. He wonders how he ended up at Ziyi’s place and more importantly sleeping in the same bed as the elder. Xukun remembers being at the party and going back inside the hall with Ziyi after the other kind of confessed his feelings to him and ordering some water to calm himself down. He is sure he got his drink but cannot remember anything else from there on and by the still pondering headache he sure consumed more alcohol than he wanted to.

Leaving the shower, he wraps one towel around his waist and dries off his hair with the other one Ziyi provided before picking up the clothes. It is the second time he will be wearing the elder’s clothes and it still feels strange even though they are friends now and not some strangers. He puts them on and observes himself in the mirror. This white Louis Vuitton shirt is just like the Gucci shirt he wore before slightly too big for him. He wonders whether Ziyi only has white shirts in his closet or why he is always giving him these.

Xukun leaves the bathroom with his own clothes draped around his arm and looks around the guestroom to find his shoes next to the bed and his jacket hanging on a coat hanger. He leaves his clothes on the bed before leaving the guest room in search for some water. Walking down the hallway towards the living room he cannot stop his amazement of how beautiful and modern Ziyi’s apartment is furnished. Most things are kept in a monochrome style only containing objects in the colors black and white. He walks over to the window which goes from this side to the other side and takes in the view of the skyline of Shanghai. There is a perfect view of the Oriental Peal Tower as well as the Shanghai World Financial Center with the shape of a bottle opener, the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai Tower. For a moment, he wonders just how much money Ziyi makes with his job as the CCO of the company to be able to afford this apartment and the car he was driving to pick him up yesterday. He turns around and notices the kitchen island on the other side and walks over. He opens the fridge and takes out a water carafe before going through the cabinets in search for a cup or a glass. Finding them he takes one out of the cabinet but drops it as a topless Ziyi with only a towel draped around his neck and some water dripping down his chest appears next to him is also reaching out for a glass himself. The one Xukun drops crashes against the floor and breaks into thousands of pieces.

“Oh shit!”, he immediately bends down trying to pick them up but is not being careful enough and cuts his finger on one of the shards.

“It’s ok, just leave it there I’ll clean it up later.”, Ziyi puts his own glass on the counter before also bending down and takes the other’s hand in his, observing the cut. He leads the younger over to the L-shaped couch, telling him to wait there before disappearing into another room and comes back with a first aid kit in his hand. Taking out the things he needs Ziyi starts cleaning up Xukun’s cut and wraps a band-aid around his finger before gently kissing it making Xukun’s face turn deep red.

Ziyi sends him a reassuring smile and ruffles his hair as he gets up and goes back to the kitchen island to clean up the shattered glass on the floor. Xukun watches him move around the kitchen, topless, and gulps suddenly feeling hot and really thirsty. He clears his throat which gets him the attention of the other as he looks towards him. “Ah right, you wanted some water, right?”, the other asks and pours some water into the glass he has left on the counter and takes something out of another cabinet before going back over to the younger.

“Here, this will help with your headache”, he hands Xukun the glass and some painkiller. Xukun quickly swallows the pill and drinks the whole glass of water as his eyes look anywhere but at Ziyi and especially the other’s topless body.

Seeing how red the one opposite of him is, Ziyi reaches out a hand and puts it on Xukun’s forehead and cheeks to feel the other’s temperature and notices how they are getting hotter. He is worried that Xukun is catching a cold and quickly gets up to get the younger the blanket which is lying on the couch and drapes it around the other’s shoulders.

“I’ll go get changed quickly and drive you home. You don’t look so well. Or you can stay in my guestroom but I have to leave for work soon.”, he tells Xukun who shakes his head violently not wanting to stay longer than necessary.

“Home sounds good.”, he replies and receives a warming smile from Ziyi as he gets up and walks back to his room.

Xukun fans himself and drops the blanket, thanking god for making the other go put on some clothes as he doesn’t know how long he could have played it cool with the sight of that build body in front of him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late(r) update. I've been busy with work and there was no time to write.   
> Comments are alway appreciated so feel free to leave some ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Instead of heading home, Ziyi takes Xukun with him to the company as the younger’s manager called him and reminded him of the meeting they have at 10 o’clock for the upcoming 20th anniversary of IP Corp. between the planning department, all models and actors. Ziyi has packed his suit into a suit bag which is lying in the car trunk now as they speed over a bridge and are nearing the company’s building. Xukun would have liked to go home first to get changed into his own clothes but that would mean for him to not make it in time for the meeting and he hates to be late for anything. He hopes no one will notice his outfit is made of the elder’s clothes from head to toe. The other has given him a cap and a pair of Balenciaga shoes because his dress shoes does not fit well with the rest of the outfit. 

He looks down his clothes again and feels slightly underdressed next to Ziyi who wore his black shirt half tugged into his pair of white denim, his hair braided on the sides and tied back into a pony tail with a pair of sunglasses giving him that finishing touch. 

Ziyi stops the car at a red light and takes a look at Xukun before placing a hand on his forehead again trying to measure the other’s temperature since he still looks worn out. 

Glad that the heat has decreased and is almost equal to his own, Ziyi smiles satisfied before reaching out for a bottle of water he placed in the backseat and hands it to Xukun who watched him the entire time. “You should drink more it helps with the hangover and your headache.”, he says before turning back to the front and accelerates when the lights turn green. 

They arrive at IP Corp. shortly after and Ziyi parks his car in his parking spot before both of them get out. “I think it’s better to leave your suit in the trunk for now, you can get it after the meeting is over.”, he suggests in hope to maybe have lunch later with the younger. Xukun agrees and they both take the lift upstairs bidding goodbye as Xukun has to get off at a lower floor than Ziyi.

He walks towards the conference room on the 5th floor and knocks at the opened door before entering. Some fellow models and actors have already arrived and are engrossed in their conversations. Xukun spots Jeffrey on the other side and walks over to him, somehow the elder has become a good friend to him. Besides Xukun really wants to ask him whether he knows what happened last night since he is too shy to ask Ziyi himself. Jeffrey gets up from where he is sitting and greets him with a bro hug while the others look up from their conversations and sends Xukun their greetings. They both settle down next to each other and Xukun reaches out for a water bottle from those which are placed on the table and takes a big gulp listening to Ziyi’s advice to drink more. He meets Jeffrey’s wide grin as he puts down the bottle and looks back questioningly. 

“So, you went back to Ziyi’s place last night?”, the other asks him a making him choke on the water and start coughing. 

“Did he tell you guys?”, Xukun replies in a quieter voice trying to not let the others hear their conversation. 

Jeffrey shakes his head. “Ziyi only texted us that he’s taking you home since apparently you did drink alcohol? I guess it’s because you are a lightweight.”, Jeffrey pauses and looks at Xukun from head to toe with a mischievous grin, “well and you’re wearing his clothes.” Xukun turns bright red, his hope of not being discovered by anyone dissipating into thin air. “Nothing happened! He just let me borrow his clothes.”, Xukun retorts quickly trying to play it down but the other just keeps grinning knowingly making him groan in annoyance and bury his head between his arms. He’s saved by Zhou Rui who walks inside the room with two other people, a female and a male, and takes his seat at the end of the rectangular table with them. The other seats have been taken by more models and actors of their company, some of them Xukun knows in person and some he has only seen at meetings like this. He’s slightly surprised to see Fan Chengcheng joining them at the meeting wondering whether the filming of the drama he is participating in has been wrapped up. 

Zhou Rui starts the meeting with announcing the diurnal subjects with the main subject being the planning for the upcoming anniversary festival being held in about two months. “The planning department in agreement with the CCO want everyone to attend the festival and if possible participate in some way. There mostly will be special stages, please feel free to comment on anything you would like to participate in. We will be taking any suggestions, singing, rapping, dancing, as long as it suits the theme and timeframe and we’ll get back to you with your assigned project.”

They start noting down everyone’s wishes and suggestions and declining those which will not be realizable. The meeting is scheduled for about an hour, they barely finish in time when Zhou Rui sums up the results and dismisses them. All of the attendants start talking about the possible collaborations as they get up and leave the room in groups.

 

Zhou Rui is still talking to one of the actors about their suggestion when he spots the blond-haired Justin lurking outsite of the room and being greeted by some of the attendants as they leave. Justin waves at him with a childish smile, eyes asking for permission to enter the room as he is not sure whether Zhou Rui finished his talk or not and receives a brief nod in return. Justin walks inside and stops a few steps behind the elder to wait for him to end his current conversation as he wants to ask him to go eat lunch with him. He didn’t expect to see Fan Chengcheng standing just a few meters away from him seemingly also wanting to speak to Zhou Rui when their eyes meet. He doesn’t turn away right away but doesn’t give the other any special attention just pure disinterest. He turns towards Zhou Rui when the other finishes his talk and the childish smile returns as he clings to the elder missing the longing expression making a short appearance through Chengcheng’s blank gaze.

“Rui-Ge come eat lunch with me”, Justin whines to the elder while the other is trying to pry him off his side. “Ask Xingjie, I still have one more meeting I have to attend before my lunch break starts!” Both of them bicker for several minutes when they hear someone clear’s their throat and turn their attention towards that person.

“I’ll come visit you in your office later”, Chengcheng says towards Zhou Rui before he leaves the room without another glance at Justin. Zhou Rui watches the younger leave and turns to look at the boy next to him whose expression didn’t change, a pleading look and pout still present on his face. “Fine, fine, fine, come pick me up later”, he gives in to receive a crushing hug from the younger. He shakes his head as he walks towards his next appointment wondering when those two crackheads will finally stop with their cold war and resolve this.

-

You Zhangjing enters the building once again and walks towards the reception. His meeting has been rescheduled for today after a certain singer kidnapped him and took him to his photo shooting the former day. He waits as the receptionists calls the person in charge to confirm his details and lets him go through the barrier with the instructions on which floor to go to. Arriving at the desired floor he gets off and looks around the long hallway not sure on where to go but luckily spots someone walking towards him.

“Excuse me but could you tell me where I can find Room,” he glances down to the hand-written paper the receptionist gave him, “B-712?”.  Zhangjing looks up and meets the taller man’s smile directed at him. “Sure, follow me, I have to go there too anyways. I’m Wang Ziyi, the chief content officer of IP Corp.”, he introduces himself and reaches a hand out for Zhangjing to shake. With widened eyes Zhangjing takes the hand and shakes it, he didn’t expect the other to be so young, he should have looked up the personal before coming in he thinks. “I’m You Zhangjing”, Zhangjing introduces himself quickly as they start walking towards the room. They turn at the end of the hallway and walk a few more meters before arriving at the office. Ziyi opens the door and lets Zhangjing walk inside first before following him. “Zhou Rui, the person in charge of the planning department will be here soon, I guess his former meeting took a bit longer than expected.”, Ziyi tells him as he gestures towards the free seats while checking the time on his Apple Watch. Zhangjing takes place on one of the seats as he glances around the office nervously and observes Ziyi on the other side pouring himself a glass of water. “Do you want anything to drink?”, he turns his head around and asks the smaller one to which he replies with “Anything is fine”. Ziyi sits down opposite of him shortly after handing him a glass of water in the other hand he is holding his own glass.

“You have to be azorachin since you introduced yourself as You Zhangjing according to the files I received”, Zhangjing simply nods at the taller’s statement. “It’s nice to finally have a face to the voice we all know pretty well.”, Ziyi continues making the other embarrassed as he is not used to it. Both of them get joined by Zhou Rui who walks inside the office while apologizing to them for his delay. They exchange introductions before settling down.

“First of all, I would like to welcome you to IP Corporations. We are really glad you decided to join us. As negotiated in the contract we plan to have a face reveal and seeing you now I really don’t know why your former company didn’t do it sooner.”, Zhou Rui starts the discussion looking puzzled but smiles at Zhanging reassuringly. “We have quite a few projects planned out for you but let’s talk about the face reveal first. Since it’s a once in a lifetime kind of event we would like to do it during the upcoming anniversary festival and I think Ziyi will agree to this idea as it will be the best occasion to announce it.”, he continues and then pauses to let his words sink in.

Zhangjing looks between the other two but does not really understand what they want to do. “How? I mean yeah sure they will see my face but what exactly are you planning?”, he asks them confused. Ziyi looks up from the file he has lying on the table in front of him. “We want you to sing a soundtrack for a drama of our actors that is going to start airing soon and you will be performing this song with another singer during the festival. It will also be the date the soundtrack gets released.”, Ziyi gives him more information.

Zhangjing assumes a look of slight annoyance as he once again is asked to sing a soundtrack for another drama. “That sound great but I thought I would be able to get another project assigned as my first. I have been doing soundtracks since the very beginning of my faceless artist carrier.”, he retorts. “And we will let you do other projects”, Zhou Rui assures him and shows him the folder after skimming through a few pages. “We just want to pair your already fairly known voice for singing soundtracks with the drama that is definitely going to be very popular giving you more chances to appear on shows. Your first appearance being at the festival will give it a more exciting touch boosting the curiosity of your fans and to be honest with you getting more people to attend it.”, the one on his left side with wavy brown hair tells him. Zhangjing nods as he goes through the points Zhou Rui just told him and he has to agree that the plan is pretty good.

“Ok, but can you tell me who the other singer would be?”, he turns towards Ziyi and receives a smile. “We have not picked any in particular but thought about Lin Yanjun. Do you know him?”

 _Oh, of course he knows him_ , Zhangjing thinks as his expression turns into a deep frustrated frown remembering yesterday’s events.

“I agree to the plan but I want to have a say in whom I will work with and I strongly object Lin Yanjun as my duet partner.”

Ziyi and Zhou Rui exchange confused glances, not sure why the third-party requests for this. “May I ask why you are objecting? Lin Yanjun is a pretty good singer, I may say one of our bests.”, Ziyi asks, feeling slightly offended for his best friend especially if he recalls the adoration the other one has for his idol.

“We are just not compatible”, the one opposite of him replies with a murderous gaze making the other two shudder in their seats and smiling nervously at him. “Alright, we will give you other suggestions for your duet partner as for now let’s move on to the next agenda.”, Zhou Rui continues trying to lighten up the mood in the room.

-

Lin Yanjun sneezes continuously as he is on his way back from an indoor shooting for his album’s photobook. He has a feeling that someone surely is talking or been talking badly about him but can’t think of anyone in particular. Qin Fen, his manager, hands him another tissue to wipe his nose even though there is nothing to wipe off. “You cannot be falling ill now, there are still things we need to do and we can’t delay them.”, he tells Yanjun. Yanjun reassures him that it is not a cold and he is feeling as fit as he can be and not to worry about it. They are nearing the company when Yanjun pleads his manager to stop at “Next station: happiness” promising not to cause any situations and to behave. Qin Fen sighs and stops in front of the café to let the singer get off the van. “Remember, behave!”, his manager reminds him once again as he watches the silver-haired male opening the door of the van and jumping out of it before he sighs feeling old even though he is not much older than Yanjun.

Yanjun opens the door to “Next station: happiness” and is greeted with the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans and delicious pastries. He deems himself lucky as the queue in front of him is not too long and a side glance towards the display shows him that his desired cake is still available. Yanjun prays to god to let him have that very last piece and not being taken away by anyone else as he moves forward in line. It seems like god has not heard his prayers as the barista takes out the last piece from the display and starts packing it in a portable box before putting the box inside a paper bag. His eyes don’t leave the paper bag with the cake inside and his eyes wander up to the face of the person who gets the bag handed to as the barista hands the bag to the costumer. Lin Yanjun wants to cry out loud. Standing in front of the counter is no one else but You Zhangjing with the happiest face any person can have while looking at a paper bag. The later looks up and meets his ice-cold gaze, looking at him fiercely and stops in his track. Yanjun really wants to go over and asks the other to give him the cake but his pride is too strong for him to do as he wishes so he stays rooted where he is already standing and just sends the other a glare. He watches Zhangjing shudder slightly before looking down at the bag and up at him again with a contemplating look. To say he is surprised would be an understatement as the smaller suddenly holds out the bag in front of him and waits. Yanjun looks down at the bag not sure what the other wants him to do or expects from him. He returns his gaze to the one opposite of him but this time confusion written clearly on his face.

The other sighs and rolls his eyes. “As an apology, for the bread. Even though I didn’t do anything wrong but I know how it feels like to get his beloved food taken away by someone else”, he says while giving Yanjun a meaningful look.

“You didn’t put in any poison, did you?”, he asks while raising an eyebrow still not totally convinced by the other’s words and watches him rolls his eyes again.

“Either you take it, or I will keep it. It’s your decision.”, Zhangjing gives him an ultimatum which he quickly acts on and takes the bag out of the other’s hand.

“Great, now I hope to not see you any time soon.”, the smaller male says to him as he walks out of the café leaving behind a perplexed Lin Yanjun.

Yanjun stands inside the café for a few more minutes, going through what just happened and asking himself whether it really happened. He just cannot believe that You Zhangjing gave up on the cake on his free will without him asking for it as he recalls the other’s former reaction during their first meeting. Lost in thought he doesn’t notice his worried manager entering the café to look for him. He follows Qin Fen back to the van, eyes still on the paper bag now sitting on his lap.

Yanjun realizes two things on his short trip from the café to the company.

First, You Zhangjing is actually not that bad, he bought Yanjun cake. Technically he gave him his own cake but that does not really matter.

Second, he starts to regret on how he has been behaving around the other.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapters keep getting longer XD  
> thank you guys so much for all the comments ~ they keep me motivated, so please feel free to comment after each chapter :3


	14. Chapter 14

Fan Chengcheng looks up from his cup of coffee as another person sits down on the seat opposite of him in “Next station: happiness”. He has been deep in thought from the moment he left the meeting with the planning department until now. The sight of a certain blond-haired boy wouldn’t leave his mind.

“Fan Chengcheng, did you call me to meet you here just to see you sulking?”, the other asks him with an annoyed face.

“I’m not Ting-Ge”, he replies and takes another sip of his now lukewarm coffee. Zhengting observes the younger before shaking his head. “You can order your thoughts while I go get myself a cup of coffee but I expect you to spill once I return.”, Zhengting tells him with a stern voice and waits for the younger to give him a sign that he understood what he said before getting up and walking over to the counter.

He has not talked to Justin over half a year and they stopped contacting each other ever since. Both of them are used to fight a lot, their friendship is based on fights and bickering but usually they were always so ridiculous both of them end up laughing and forget about what they fought over at the end of the day. The longest a fight lasted was three days and eight hours until one of them gave in. Chengcheng was not prepared for one fight to get out of hand and start this cold war as he recalls how Zhou Rui-Ge often calls it. He blamed Justin at first, calling him childish but he admits he was not in his right mind either and he can be really stubborn when he wants to be. His train of thoughts get broken once again when Zhengting returns with his drink which does not look anything like coffee as it is green-colored. Chengcheng makes a disgusted face and looks at the elder questioningly.

“What?”, the other asks him as he notices his expression.

“What is that? I thought you wanted to get yourself a coffee?”, Chengcheng replies and points at the green thing Zhengting is setting on the table. “Oh, that, you know how Yanchen does not drink any coffee to keep his teeth that beautiful white? I want to try it out, too.”, Zhengting replies with a silly smile making Chengcheng switch his disgust from the drink to the other’s foolishly in love-face. “Anyway, you wanted to talk. Please start I have to drop by Xukun’s place to check on him and the state he always leaves it in later and to squeeze out some information from him as he went to the party yesterday with Wang Ziyi without telling me besides some other tea I got from others.”

“He was at the meeting earlier and according to Jeffrey, who didn’t even try to be subtle, he was wearing Ziyi’s clothes.”, Chengcheng pours more oil into the fire making Zhengting surprised and smirk with a knowing but scheming smile. “Thanks for the information but don’t try to avert the topic.”, Zhengting returns his attention to the younger sitting opposite of him. “It’s just, …”, he stammers and leans back against his seat “did you know Justin is back?”. “You mean Minghao? Yeah, I’ve met him, we even went out to eat dinner last week. Probably everyone in IP Corp. knows that he is back with how frequently he comes in to annoy Xingjie and Zhou Rui.”, Zhengting shrugs and takes a sip of his healthy green drink. Chengcheng sits up straight again and looks at the elder with a stern expression. “I was away for the shooting of the drama but you could at least, I don’t know, text your son and warn me.”, he asks making the other chuckle. “Seriously, do I need to do that?”, Zhengting raises an eyebrow at him. “I bet you have been stalking his social media either way.”, he continues and points at the younger with an accusing finger. “I do not do that”, Chengcheng mutters in reply while looking away. He did, he tried to but he has been blocked by Justin to his dismay and had to resort into looking for any information from their friends’ update on the younger.

“Or at least our mutual friends’ social media accounts. Can you two please stop with whatever this fight is about?”, Zhengting adds and sighs in weariness as he is one of those who got caught in the middle of their fight when he does not even know what it is all about. Zhengting suspects Zhou Rui does know and just wouldn’t tell him and until now neither Chengcheng nor Justin has told him either making him stressed as both of them are dear to him. At least Chengcheng is talking to him about this matter, he thinks and observes the younger.

-

Lin Yanjun arrives at the company, the cake he received from Zhangjing still in his hand. His manager tells him he has some time left until the meeting between the planning department and all singers of the company will be held as they are at lunch break right now. Yanjun decides to go check on Ziyi and maybe annoy him into eating lunch with him before he can devour the cake he is carrying with him. Arriving on the 9thfloor he greets Ruibin at his desk asking him whether his superior has any meeting scheduled right now before making his way over to Ziyi’s office and enters with a short knock. Ziyi who is used to his two bros’ behavior does not even look up from his work as the elder of the two makes himself comfortable on the other side of his desk. “Would you please take a break from work now and then? It’s not healthy to be such a workaholic Ziyi.”, Yanjun tells Ziyi and waits for the other to look up from the papers spread out in front of him.

Ziyi indeed looks up and looks at him, “How was your shooting?”, he asks him and makes him sigh. “It went well, you will see the result of the shooting either way and let’s not talk about work when I told you to take a break”, Yanjun shakes his head at the other. Ziyi chuckles and leans back against his office chair before he shrugs. “Fine, then you probably would not like to know how the meeting with azorachin at noon went.”, the younger says nonchalantly. Yanjun perks up interested in what Ziyi has to tell him about his idol. “That’s totally not work related but more like ‘I need to keep my best friend updated on his idol’-topic of conversation, what are you waiting for, spill!”, Yanjun gets impatient as he watches Ziyi take a sip from his coffee and taking his time while Yanjun feels like he is sitting on hot coal.

Ziyi grins at him with a teasing smile before putting his cup down. “He is pretty nice, and smaller than both of us. It is kind of unexpected for someone so small to have such an amazing voice.”, Ziyi pauses and observes his friend’s expression. “We talked about the upcoming plans with Zhou Rui as the representative of the planning department.”, he continues making Yanjun excited to know more. “I hope you guys mentioned that I want to work with him first, remember, I called dips”, Yanjun reminds him and waits for Ziyi’s confirmation. “Well, I did mention a collaboration with you as the potential duet partner but he refused straight away. May I quote him ‘I strongly object Lin Yanjun as my duet partner’”, the younger retells and watches in fascination as his friend does not look sad in any way but in contrast he seems to be excited. “He knows of my existence”, Yanjun mutters dreamingly as he leans back against the seat. Ziyi raises an eyebrow at his friend’s strange behavior. “Ehm, not to pop that bubble you’re in right now but he refused to work with you.”, he repeats his statement but it does not reduce the other’s excitement.

“I can still convince him later but he knows of my existence Ziyi! My idol knows who I am!”, Yanjun says excitedly with sparkling eyes. “You’re a famous singer, so it actually shouldn’t surprise you?”, Ziyi retorts but meets deaf ears as Yanjun continues with his rant. “When can I meet him? I need time to mentally prepare myself, I hope he will like me and change his mind.” Ziyi rolls his eyes and lets Yanjun live in his made-up fairytale a bit longer. Yanjun looks at Ziyi expectantly after he has calmed down a bit and waits for Ziyi to elaborate on the topic at hand. “We decided to not reveal his face to the public for now and he will do an official face reveal during the anniversary festival. Whether you will be meeting him sooner depends on your luck. Since he won’t do the duet with you the chance of you meeting him will probably be really low.”, the black-haired one shrugs and watches his friend’s excited and happy face turn into a bitter frown. “There’s nothing you can do?”, Yanjun asks him in hope to hear a positive answer but to his frustration he only receives a shake of the head from Ziyi. “Not even as my best friend? Bros for life?”, he tries again but only receives the same answer.

“You’re the worst wingman anyone can have. I should ask Jeffrey for help.”, Yanjun groans dejected and in disappointment.

“Jeffrey really is a great wingman, he kind of set up Xukun and me as each other’s partner for the party yesterday.”, Ziyi happily recalls last night’s events. Yanjun perks up with interest again as he watches Ziyi’s silly expression. “Oh, right. You and Xukun. Jeffrey texted me earlier, he said he was wearing your clothes?”, he grins mischievously at Ziyi who becomes flustered but quickly plays it cool and turns his attention back to his paper work. “Don’t ignore me.”, Yanjun chuckles. “You don’t even let Jeffrey or I borrow your clothes but Xukun gets to wear them twice. You are already so smitten by him Ziyi.”, he adds in a slightly mocking but playful voice. Ziyi only smiles in return not correcting him and thus admitting to his friend’s accusation. Yanjun shakes his head in disbelief but is happy for his best friend. “Anyway, I came here to get you to go eat lunch with me.”, he checks his watch, “I still have an hour until I have to attend the meeting with the planning department.” He gets up and waits for Ziyi to do the same but Ziyi stays rooted in his chair. “What are you waiting for? Please get off your workaholic mode and enjoy life a bit more.”

“I’m waiting for Kunkun.”, Ziyi replies and picks up his phone to check it for notifications but does not see any new ones. “Already abandoning your bros for your future boyfriend. I see how it is.”, Yanjun sighs dramatically before getting his phone out and starts texting Jeffrey about the newest development. Just then a knock can be heard before the door to Ziyi’s office gets opened slightly and Xukun takes a glimpse inside to see Yanjun who is standing not far from the desk and Ziyi who is still sitting in his office chair both look towards the door.

“Am I interrupting something, Ruibin told me I can come in?”, the newcomer asks them while still standing hidden behind the door only his head visible from the other’s point of view. Ziyi immediately smiles the moment Xukun appears and gets up from his seat. “We finished our conversation just now, right Yanjun?”, Ziyi asks the other but his eyes are not leaving the boy who is now walking inside after hearing his answer and returning the smile with his own. Yanjun rolls his eyes, the feeling of being the third-wheel fully present as he watches Ziyi and Xukun’s interaction as if he is not even with them in the office. He sighs loudly to make the other two notice him “I guess I will have to go eat lunch alone. What are bros when one of them priorities a certain someone over his bros.”

Xukun blushes and avoids looking at Yanjun while Ziyi glares at him from behind Xukun giving him the sign to stop whatever he was trying to achieve with his teasing tone. Yanjun holds up his hands in surrender before picking up the bag with the cake from Ziyi’s desk and bids his goodbye.

 

Xukun turns towards Ziyi with a confused look. “He could have joined us for lunch”, the younger tells Ziyi who only shrugs as a reply. “Don’t mind him, he is acting weird sometimes. Let me just arrange these files and turn the computer on stand-by and then we can leave.”, he adds and does as he just said before taking his coat off the clothes rail.  They leave Ziyi’s office together and pass by Ruibin’s desk who wishes them a good lunch break and sends Ziyi a knowing wink. It seems like the whole building has gotten the news that Xukun is wearing Ziyi’s clothes the moment Jeffrey mentioned it before the meeting started as each and every one they pass on their way to the parking area sends them both knowing looks, some even giving them thumbs ups. Xukun has been pulling on the shirt he is wearing uncomfortably and nervously which Ziyi notices and sends him a worried glance. It was not his intention to put the other in the spotlight of attention when they themselves are not sure what kind of relationship they have.  

They arrive at his car and Ziyi unlocks it before both of them get inside. He turns towards Xukun who is facing the front with a look on his face which Ziyi cannot read. “Are you alright Kunkun?”, he asks making the younger turn towards him with a forced smile. “Nothing’s wrong, let’s go.”

Ziyi feels bad about this whole situation as he now can clearly see how much it affects the younger. “Let’s just stop somewhere and get take-away, I’ll send you home afterwards.”, he tells him before he turns on the car and drives off.  He can feel Xukun’s gaze on him the whole ride to the restaurant they are heading to, so he turns towards him once they arrive and asks “Do you want to say something Kunkun?”

“We don’t have to get take-away, it’s fine.”, the younger tries to reassure him but Ziyi knows him better than that. “You don’t have to hold back, you can be honest with me Kunkun. I can see how uncomfortable you are and I really don’t mind.”, Ziyi tells him and pats his head before he gets off the car to go inside the restaurant to order their food leaving Xukun in the car waiting for him.

Xukun takes a deep breath feeling slightly more comfortable after hearing Ziyi’s words, it’s not like the first time he is wearing the other’s clothes but to have everyone from their workplace starring at him giving them both looks of something that should not concern them makes him conscious of himself. He recalls Ziyi’s confession from the night before which still makes him confused and unsure about what his feelings are. Xukun doesn’t want others to meddle in his business and maybe complicate this more than it already is. His mind drifts off to Ziyi who is way too nice to be true, he always gives in to whatever Xukun wants and tries to make him feel as comfortable as he can be. Something about his overall behavior makes Xukun relax but then again feel nervous whenever the other is around. It doesn’t help how good Ziyi is looking just walking with two take-away bags in his hands while exiting the restaurant, Xukun adds in his mind and observes the elder as he walks back to the car smiling at him when their eyes meet.

Ziyi puts the bag on the backseat once he gets back inside the car, and asks Xukun for his address to head over to his place. Panicking as he only now realizes where they are planning on going Xukun starts to sweat and think of an alternative in his mind while Ziyi starts the car. He remembers what kind of mess he has left his apartment in the last day when he went to work and does not want Ziyi to see it. “How about we stop at a park and eat there? The weather is really nice today.”, he tries to convince Ziyi but the elder just chuckles at his suggestion. “We don’t have any eating utensils with us, how are we supposed to eat there? Maybe next time.” The closer they get to his apartment the more nervous he gets and start to get restless in his seat. They arrive at his apartment and Ziyi parks his car downstairs. He takes the bags from the backseat and turns towards Xukun and sees the reluctance the other is displaying clearly. Ziyi sighs slightly before he puts one of the bags in Xukun’s lap. “If you don’t want me to go upstairs it’s fine. I’ll eat in my office after I returned to the company. Just let me get your suit from the trunk and then you can go inside.”, Xukun looks up from the bag Ziyi put in his lap and at Ziyi before he shakes his head.

“It’s just… I didn’t clean up my apartment and it’s kind of messy, I don’t want you to see it.”, Xukun mutters embarrassed. Ziyi sighs in relief, already worrying about what the reason for Xukun’s reluctance could have been. “If it’s only for that reason than you don’t have to worry so much, isn’t it pretty normal to be messy now and then. I don’t mind, instead I now really want to see what your apartment is like if it makes you so worried.”, he chuckles before opening his door and gets off the car and taking the suit bag from the trunk. Xukun follows him and they both walk towards the entrance and go up to Xukun’s apartment. The younger takes out his keys to open his door, already envisioning the mess behind the door, but to his surprise finds the mess at his entrance cleaned up and Zhengting in the middle of cleaning his living room. Ziyi walks in behind him and just when he wants to tease Xukun on how he was overreacting about the state of his apartment he gets surprised by the sight of Zhengting as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you for reading and leaving comments ~


	15. Chapter 15

Zhengting went to Xukun’s apartment after he met up with Chengcheng at the café. Upon opening the door Zhengting got greeted by the mess his best friend is used to leave his apartment in. He shakes his head as he bends down and starts to collect the items thrown on the floor and take them to the laundry basket. He finishes the entrance and Xukun’s bedroom and is in the middle of cleaning the living room when he hears the door opening but doesn’t stop his work at hand. “Xukun how many times do I have to tell you, if you clean up now and then your apartment wouldn’t look like something exploded inside. I mean I volunteered to help you take care of your apartment but are you not taking advantage of this way too much?”, he rants on and sighs dramatically not noticing the presence of the other two persons standing in the threshold to the living room. 

Xukun watches his best friend and listens to his rant. The awkwardness slowly building up as he glances back at Ziyi whose expression he cannot read. He turns back to the front and clears his throat to get Zhengting’s attention. The other turns around irritated at his best friend not sure why he is not answering or giving any other reaction to him and is surprised to find not only Xukun but also Ziyi standing in the apartment. He smiles at them both and waves at them sheepishly, cleaning cloth still held in his hand. “Hi Ziyi, I didn’t know you would be coming over with Xukun.”, he greets Ziyi before sending Xukun a glare with the sweetest smile on his face with the meaning of ‘Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have come over and we wouldn’t be in this awkward situation’.

“We spontaneously decided to eat lunch together”, Ziyi replies, raising the hand with the take-away and Xukun nods in agreement.

Zhengting observes them both, noticing the outfit Xukun is wearing and remembers Chengcheng’s words before adding up the information. A smirk slowly appears on his face, he sends Xukun a knowing wink while getting up from where he was cleaning. “I’m almost done, I’ll leave you two to your lunch.”, he adds as he picks up the cleaning utensils and goes inside the bathroom to put them away. Xukun quickly follows him inside and closes the door, leaving Ziyi standing in the living room looking lost.

Zhengting turns around startled when he hears the bathroom door closing behind him and Xukun standing inside the bathroom with him. “Are you trying to kill me?”, Zhengting shrieks and hits Xukun who holds up his hands in defense. “Why are you here with me, you should be outside with Ziyi!”, he adds and points towards the closed door. “It’s not what you may think, we were only planning to eat lunch before he will head back to the company”, Xukun utters embarrassed and tries to convince the other who keeps smirking at him. “You’re all grown up now, you don’t need to explain it to me Xukun. You should know I shipped you since the very beginning.”, the elder says, proud of himself seeing the development of his best friend’s relationship. “But you really need to keep me more updated about it, why do I have to get it from everyone else, Chaoze sent me a photo of you and Ziyi from a few weeks ago when you two met up at the café and I only know about it since a few days. Then I only know about you two attending last night’s party together through the celebrity news.”, Zhengting lists the things he was dissatisfied about. He eyes Xukun from head to toe, a tsk escaping his mouth. “And from what I can see you spend the night over at his place”, Zhengting shakes his head in disappointment. “I expected an update as soon as you woke up this morning.”

Xukun wants to hit his head against the door or wall or just anything available in frustration hearing Zhengting’s complains when he just doesn’t want the other to get the wrong idea. He admits that everything is pointing towards him and Ziyi dating and especially spending the night together doing things he is embarrassed to even think about which are not even the case but it seems like no one really cares to know about the whole truth and love to assume things. He takes a deep breath before putting both of his hands on Zhengting’s shoulders to get him to stop his rant and finally listen to him. “We are not dating!”, he slowly tells him while looking him in the eyes to get his point across.

“Yet”, Zhengting then adds to his statement making him even more frustrated. He pulls at his hair and walks back and forth in front of the other. They hear a knock on the door to which both of them turn around and stare at it.

“Ehm, I don’t want to disturb your conversation”, they hear Ziyi say from the other side of the door, “or whatever you two are doing inside but I think I should head back to the company.”

Zhengting checks the time on his phone and shows it to Xukun. Xukun didn’t notice how much time has passed from the moment he followed Zhengting inside until now and feels bad for leaving Ziyi alone in his living room waiting for him to join him for lunch. Ziyi went out of his way to accommodate Xukun’s wishes and here he is wasting the other’s time. Xukun looks at Zhengting who gives him a look which clearly asks him what he is waiting for and why he is still not walking out of the bathroom to see Ziyi. Xukun turns back around and opens the door before smiling awkwardly at Ziyi who is now standing in front of him.

“We were only talking about stuff.”, Zhengting says from behind Xukun and pushes him out of the room against Ziyi who catches him with his arms before closing the bathroom door quickly leaving Xukun and Ziyi alone. Xukun can feel Ziyi concerned gaze on him as he takes a step back getting out of the other’s embrace. “I’ll leave first, my lunch break is almost over”, Ziyi says to him after checking the time on his watch. Xukun nods in acknowledgement, he accompanies the elder to the front door, picking up the take-away bag on their way.

They stop at the threshold and Ziyi turns back to him patting his head. “You don’t need to look so sad, we can eat lunch together another time.”, Ziyi tries to cheer him up when Xukun should be the one apologizing to him. Xukun gathers all his strength to show the other his brightest smile as an apology instead which seems to work as Ziyi returns his smile with his own.

Xukun walks back inside his apartment after Ziyi left with a strange feeling in his guts and finds Zhengting standing in his living room with an apologetic look on his face. “Hey, sorry for ruining your lunch date with him”, the elder says and walks over to hug Xukun. “I’m the worst best friend ever! I promise I’ll make up for it.” Xukun just shakes his head not wanting Zhengting to meddle with what is already so messed up.

-

Zhangjing arrives at his stop and exits the subway. After his meeting with Zhou Rui and Ziyi he has been waiting at home for their call to come in again for the final details of the duet and his duet partner. A few days have passed since then and Zhangjing is full of energy to dive into the new project. He walks by “Next station: happiness” and ponders whether to stop by or not. His stomach grumbles even though he shouldn’t be hungry when he has eaten before and thus making the decision for his mind. Zhangjing checks the time and fortunately he arrived early enough to be able to stop by at the café to grab something to eat. He enters the café happily and queue up while checking today’s special menu when he spots a silver-haired male standing in line a few guests further in front of him. Of course, the person he least wants to meet will appear right in front of him. He watches the other order and wait in front of the counter while leaning against it in all his handsomeness and nonchalant attitude. Zhangjing couldn’t help to think how conceited the other has to be to act like this in a public place and rolls his eyes but not before making sure he is not within the other’s sight, hoping Lin Yanjun won’t notice him so he can have a pleasant day. He deems himself lucky as Yanjun takes his order and walks towards the entrance, passing him and he is already rejoicing when he feels a presence stopping behind him, a cold chill running down his back boding nothing well. Zhangjing wills himself to not turn around under any circumstances and to pretend that he doesn’t notice the presence lurking behind him, taping on his shoulder non-stop. He keeps it up for exactly four minutes and 28 seconds until the taping is getting on his nerves and he turns around with a glare.

“What do you want?”, Zhangjing asks holding himself back from hitting the person who has been trying to get his attention. “Hi,” Yanjun smiles back at him, dimples popping out as he waves at the smaller. Zhangjing waits for him to continue and tell him why he was bothering him but gets no reply. He rolls his eyes and turns back to the front catching up with the queue as they have moved forward and it is now almost his turn. Yanjun follows him silently, stops right behind him and starts with his taping on Zhangjing’s shoulder again. The smaller ignores it and orders two special sandwiches and an iced caramel macchiato and takes out his purse to pay for his order but Yanjun is faster and hands the barista his credit card. Zhangjing frowns and turns around to look at him. “Why are you paying for my order?”, he asks suspicious about the other’s behavior. Yanjun shrugs indifferently and puts his credit card away after the payment went through. Not trusting the taller’s sudden generosity he takes out the amount of money he would have needed to pay for his order and thrusts it into Yanjun’s hand. “I don’t like to owe other people. Especially those I’m not close to.”, he says and picks up the bag with his sandwiches and the cup of cold coffee and turns around to leave.

Yanjun follows him and catches up swiftly with his long legs. Walking besides him Yanjun keeps sending side glances towards Zhangjing. He is surprised to get his generosity rejected as not many would have done so. Besides he wanted to make up for his bad temper from the last times they’ve met, especially when the other was nice enough to buy him cake in return for his bread. He is just not ready to tell the other his reason, Lin Yanjun has an image to uphold. He nods, agreeing with his own reasoning. They stop at the intersection, the traffic light glowing red, IP Corp. on the other side of the street. Zhangjing turns towards him with an in irritated and annoyed look. “Will you stop following me?”, the smaller asks him and then sips on the straw of his iced coffee making Yanjun chuckle and points towards their company. “You know, I work there too.”, he points out making Zhangjing flustered in embarrassment. The smaller looks away and clears his throat muttering something Yanjun doesn’t fully understand but strangely sounds like curse words.

“The superstar walking all this way alone without his manager or assistant? Is that even possible?”, Zhangjing glances at him and asks before looking around trying to find Qin Fen or the assistant he has not yet met but been mistaken for. “You can be my shield in case fans appear and overwhelm me but my fans usually let me stroll back from the café to the company without disturbance.”, Yanjun says proudly about his fans missing Zhangjing’s deathly glare. The light turns green and they both cross the intersection in silence. Zhangjing tired of talking to Yanjun and just wants to arrive in peace while Yanjun is contemplating about what question he has for the other since they seem to be getting along quite well right now. “What is your position in IP Corporation for you to have such an attitude back then declining to be my assistant.”, he asks in curiosity breaking the silence. Zhangjing sighs loudly, couldn’t Lin Yanjun shut up for a few more minutes, they would have arrived and parted ways.  

“I’m a singer.”, he says hoping to end the conversation with his answer but hearing the loud gasp coming from the other on his left side it doesn’t seem to be ending soon. “No way!”, Yanjun exclaims in surprise. “You?”, he eyes Zhangjing from head to toe judgingly.

Zhangjing stops in his tracks and closes his eyes, his rage reaching a new level. Lin Yanjun is testing his patience. He keeps chanting a mantra in his mind trying to calm down and not act too rashly and regret it later. Zhangjing doesn’t want to be sued by the other for ruining his pretty face just after switching companies and before even working on any projects.

Yanjun watches Zhangjing’s reaction, finding this situation quite amusing not sensing that he is playing with fire right now he pocks the smaller on his arm. “Why did you stop, we are almost there.”

Zhangjing takes another deep breath but it does not lessen his fury. He doesn’t answer the other but just walks straight inside the building finishing his coffee in one gulp.

Yanjun tilts his head in confusion and slight irritation. How dare You Zhangjing leave him standing in the middle of the street like this.

-

Justin has been hanging around Zhu Xingjie’s office the whole morning, just lying on the couch in the elder’s office playing mobile phone games while the other is working on his new song. The occasional sound effects the younger is adding to make his gaming experience more realistic usually doesn’t bother Xingjie as much but he is in a particularly bad mood today and Justin is not helping his writer’s block. Xingjie puts down is pen forcefully appalling the boy on his couch who straightens up immediately and looks towards the other. “Huba-ge is everything alright?”, Justin asks worriedly. Xingjie sighs, it wasn’t his intention to frighten the younger or make him worried. He turns around and faces Justin. “You know that I adore you, right?”, he asks and Justin nods. “But I really need some quiet right now, can you go and look around the building for anything else to do?”

Since Justin has known him for so many years he already knows what to do in such cases and gets up right away, giving the other a hug before taking his things off the couch. “No problem, I hope you will be able to finish the song soon. It sounds amazing.”, he gives him two thumbs ups and leaves the room closing the door behind him silently.

Justin walks around the hallway looking inside some of the rooms which are left open curiously and greets some of the other producers but decides to keep wandering around until he finds something interesting or someone he can spend time with. He gets inside the elevator and sees Zhangjing who is seemingly fuming about something. Justin waves at the other who he has met as he went to pick up Zhou Rui from his meeting a few days ago with a friendly smile. Zhangjing notices him and nods in acknowledgement as Justin stands next to him rummaging through his bag looking for something inside. He turns to Zhangjing with an outstretched hand, in his palm some candies he has received from the staff members earlier this day. “Do you want some? You seem to be in a bad mood.”, Justin says offering the other his candies.

Zhangjing feels his heart warming up and his bad mood disappearing in an instant at the younger boy’s cute gesture. He smiles at the other and takes the candies out of his hand. “Thank you.” He opens one of the candies and eats it while Justin takes out another candy and mirrors the elder male. “I saw you last time, right?”, Zhangjing asks after he has finished his candy and is already unwrapping the next one. Justin nods as he is still chewing on his first one. “My father is one of the board directors so I have free access to almost each and every room.”, Justin explains after swallowing the candy. “I’m looking for a new place to go to since Xingjie-ge just kicked me out”, he adds with a pout. Zhangjing couldn’t help but to fall for Justin’s cuteness and suddenly finds himself being followed by the younger to his meeting. To his luck it is not a straightly formal meeting but they will be starting to work on the allocation of the parts of the song right away and just like Justin has told him the younger really has access to almost all rooms and every employee seems to know him. Zhangjing gets introduced to his duet partner Chen Linong who is six years younger than him and a just debuted singer of IP Corp. with a surprisingly deep voice for his age. Justin is overjoyed to see Nongnong since they haven’t seen each other for some time and the elder of the two has been busy with the promotions of his single after his debut. Zhangjing and Nongnong get to work, testing out their harmony and deciding on who will get which parts as Justin listens to them and will occasionally give them suggestions used to the procedure from Xingjie and Zhou Rui. Justin watches the other two working on what they are passionate about and is glad he found a new friend in Zhangjing and can spend time with Nongnong, too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have to get up early tomorrow for work so I set myself a deadline to finish this chapter at 3AM latest. Glad I made it XD   
> Hope you enjoyed the update and again feel free to leave comments ~


	16. Chapter 16

Music is blasting through the speakers of the practice room at the end of the hallway. Two figures move in sync to a new dance routine they just choreographed together, stopping now and then to change dance moves they are not satisfied about and start the routine from the beginning. 

Justin leads Zhangjing down the hallway towards the practice room after the elder and Nongnong ended their meeting with successfully allocating the parts for their duet and Nongnong getting picked up by his manager since he still has another schedule he has to attend. Zhangjing asked the blond-haired boy where he can find the dance practice rooms remembering Chaoze has mentioned to be in at around this time and wanting to surprise him and is glad to be guided around the unfamiliar building. They arrive in front of the entrance and look through the glass door, seeing the two drenched in sweat starting their routine once again. Zhangjing looks at Justin in uncertainty not sure whether or not it’s alright to just enter the room and thus disturbing his friends and the other dancer’s concentration. Justin returns his look with a reassuring smile. “They won’t mind. Besides I’m practically the taller male’s son”, he says before pushing the door knob down. Zhangjing lets the younger walk in first still unsure about his words but is positively surprised as the two dancers continue with their routine without any interruption, seemingly used to the younger’s sudden appearance. He follows Justin inside and closes the door behind him. They sit down on the floor facing the window and with the backs of the dancers towards them. Justin gets up and takes the two water bottles carelessly thrown on the floor and the towels lying beside them waiting for the other two to finish to give it to them. The dancers end their now multiple times practiced dance routine with an ending pose before collapsing on the floor breathing heavily and waving their hands at Justin who walks over and hands them the water bottles and towels while Zhangjing claps enthusiastically in amazement from further towards the back of the room. 

Lin Chaoze is the first to get up and walks over to his friend throwing his sweat drenched towel at him playfully. Zhangjing quickly avoids being hit by it and gets up from the floor running away from the other who started chasing after him trying to engulf him in a hug with his sweaty body.  “Lin Chaoze, don’t you dare!”, Zhangjing shrieks. His pace slows down not used to the physical exercise allowing Chaoze to catch up. Zhangjing scrunches up his nose in disgust while leaning his head as far away from the other as possible while Chaoze is hugging him and laughing in victory.

Meanwhile Justin has settled down beside the still heavily breathing Zhengting and is fanning him with his hands. “My good boy.”, he says in a proud parental voice and reaches out a hand to pats the younger’s head and finally sits up taking big gulf from the water bottle. “Ge you’re ruining my hairstyle”, Justin complains and quickly checks his reflection in the mirror. “What hairstyle?”, the elder mocks him after he finished his water. Zhengting gets up and stretches before walking over to Chaoze and Zhangjing and Justin follows him closely. Chaoze finally releases Zhangjing from his hold when he sees the other two approaching them and throws an arm around his friend. “Zhengting, Minghao let me introduce you, this is my food-loving, exercise hating but regardless of his small size,” Chaoze lists making Zhangjing want to chop his head off as he cracks his hands ready to act out his intention, “he is a surprisingly amazing singer and most importantly my best friend, You Zhangjing”, Chaoze quickly finishes petrified of his best friend.

Zhengting holds out his hand and introduces himself. “And you seem to already know our resident brat Huang Minghao”, he adds and chuckles as the younger boy next to him whines about how he loves to mock him. They exchange some more words of courtesy before Zhangjing and Chaoze excuse themselves first, still having something planned for the evening and leaving Zhengting with Justin in the practice room.

Zhengting stretches his sore body once again, checking the time and decides to go through their routine a few more times before calling it a day. He tells Justin to go over to the music station to turn on the song and asks him to record it for him to review later. Justin does as he is told and sits down with his back leaning against the mirror, phone in hand ready to record Zhengting. The elder goes through the routine a few times before exhaustion gets the best of him and he sits down next to Justin leaning his head against the younger’s shoulder. Both of them watch the videos Justin recorded on his phone, pointing out things that need improvement or could be improved.

They look up from the phone when the door gets pushed open and a dark brown-haired head appears trying to be subtle but failing badly as the two inside the room immediately noticed him the second he opened the door. It’s none other than Fan Chengcheng looking at them with wide eyes like a deer caught in headlights. He blinks a few times before trying to move his head back out of the room slowly. “Fan Chengcheng, do you think we didn’t see you? Come in right this instant.”, Zhengting calls out in his parental voice. Justin turns his head towards him with a disagreeing look but cannot do anything about it since the other is older than him and he knows he should better not defy Zhu Zhengting when he turned on his parental mode. Chengcheng knows not to defy Zhengting in such situations too and curses silently. He clears his throat to get his usual composure back before entering the practice room looking like the awkwardness from a few minutes before didn’t happen.

Zhengting smiles happily and gestures for him to join them on the floor, patting the space on his right side while Justin is sitting on his left side. “What special day is this? My two favorite boys are here together in one room after how long? I thought I would die before I see this happen.”, Zhengting fake wipes a tear away and throws his arms around Justin and Chengcheng’s shoulders. “Now you two talk while I go get changed.”, he says and gets up from the floor picking up his towel and the empty bottles from the floor. The other two look at him, the older of the two with a slightly panicked and the younger with a disbelieving look.  “Ge but...”, Justin wants to retort but gets reprimanded by Zhengting’s disapproving glare. “You two be good, no fights and you both better be here when I return.” Zhengting then turns around and walks out of the room satisfied with his prompt arrangement. 

Justin pouts and picks up his phone to keep himself busy with something and to avoid having to talk to the male sitting in his close proximity. Chengcheng keeps glancing at the blond which doesn’t get unnoticed by him and he rolls his eyes. They sit in silence for what feels like an eternity but in reality, only five minutes have passed. 

Within the past five minutes Chengcheng has contemplated about what to do. He felt betrayed by Zhengting for leaving him alone with Justin just like that and he was and is not prepared to talk to the younger to resolve their fight yet but also wants to at least do something. Thinking of something where they don’t need to talk but with what he can get the younger’s attention he takes out his phone and opens his photo gallery, scrolling through the folders until the finds the right one. He slides his phone over the floor in the direction of Justin. It stops just in the younger’s vision and even though he tries to resist his curiosity still gets the best of him. His eyes wander from his own phone to Chengcheng’s lying on the floor next to his leg. Justin has to stop himself from cooing in joy once he realizes what is displayed on the screen. The camera roll shows dozens of photos of a small white kitten with grayish spots on its head and tummy. He quickly glances over to Chengcheng who looks around the room uninterestedly before picking up the other’s phone and goes through each and every photo of the cute kitten. Justin couldn’t believe what he was seeing, from what he recognizes from the background the photos should all have been taken in the elder’s apartment but he clearly remembers that Chengcheng didn’t want to adopt the kitten when they found him in an animal shelter the other went to for a show and to which Justin tagged along. He has begged and whined to him after falling in love with the white fluff ball at first sight but couldn’t adopt it himself since his father is allergic to cat hair. Chengcheng has declined over and over again, saying how he couldn’t take care of another living being with his busy schedule, especially if he would have to leave for shootings which sometimes could last over months. He has gone to the animal shelter to visit the kitten but has been disappointed and sad but of course also happy for the kitten when the staff told him it has already been adopted by someone when he returned to Shanghai. 

Justin takes his own phone and turns on Airdrop on both phones to send himself some of the photos not minding asking the other phone’s owner. Chengcheng grins at no one in particular watching Justin act the way he expected him to and remembers how they used to be.

Zhengting has finished his quick shower and changed into clean clothes but has been standing outside the practice room to give the other two more time in hope to help them reconcile. He peeks inside through the glass door asking himself why Chengcheng tried to open the door when he had the same intention as him earlier. He’s relieved to not find the two boys fighting but instead sitting in a peaceful environment with Justin holding two phones in his hands and smiling at them and Chengcheng watching the former boy. 

-

Zhangjing and Chaoze both took a cab to Chaoze‘s and his parents’ home, his mother has invited Zhangjing over for her small 50th birthday dinner. It doesn’t take them long to arrive and both get out grabbing their bags and most importantly the presents they’ve prepared. They enter the building and go up to the apartment. Laughter and conversations can be heard from outside the front door as they exit the elevator. “I thought it was just a small celebration with only us four?”, Zhangjing asks his best friend as the other is taking out his keys to open the door. “Mom invited my aunt and her family over, too.”, Chaoze answers him before opening the door and lets him enter first. They both take of their shoes and coats, hanging them up on the coat hanger and go inside the living room greeting the elders sitting in groups of two.

“Dinner will be ready soon, we just have to wait for Xiao Jun”, Chaoze’s mom tells them while her sister checks her phone for new messages. “He is on his way. Probably will be arriving within the next ten minutes.”

Both females get up and starts to finish the dishes in the kitchen. The smell that comes from the kitchen makes Zhangjing’s stomach grumble in excitement and totally ignoring his best friend who is talking to him. “You Zhangjing! Earth to You Zhangjing!”, his head spins around surprised when Chaoze hits him on his shoulder to get his attention. “Did you hear what I just told you?”, he asks to which Zhangjing shakes his head. He was so focused on the delicious smell, imagining the taste of the dishes that he totally ignored Chaoze. Just when Chaoze opens his mouth to repeat the words he just told Zhangjing the bell rings indicating a new guest. “That should be Xiao Jun!”, they hear the aunt say from the kitchen. Chaoze’s father gets up and opens the door. “Ah right, I’ve never met your cousin all these years since we are friends. You’ve never introduced us.”, Zhangjing points out. “I was about to tell you something really important! Stop interrupting me! You already know my cousin, he is …”, Chaoze retorts but gets interrupted by his very own cousin’s arrival this time. He facepalms and takes a cushion ready to defend himself from You Zhangjing’s wrath and watches the reaction on the other’s face as his cousin who is none other than Lin Yanjun walks inside the living room behind his father and his uncle. Zhangjing turns from curious to confused to furious within seconds before he turns his gaze back towards Chaoze and glares at him accusingly. “Out of all things you forget to tell me it’s about your cousin being Lin Yanjun?”, he half whispers, half shouts at his best friend who is hiding behind the pillow. “I tried but you spaced out!”, Chaoze answers taking a glimpse from behind the pillow checking the situation and notices that Yanjun has spot them since he is looking in their direction. He widens his eyes when Yanjun walks towards them, trying to give Zhangjing a sign to warn him.

He stops next to the couch they are sitting on and looks from Chaoze to Zhangjing. “What is he doing here?”, Yanjun asks pointing at Zhangjing. Chaoze quickly gets up and positions himself between his cousin and his best friend to be able to interfere in case of any mishaps. He turns to Yanjun who looks back at him waiting for him to answer his question. “Well, Yanjun this is my best friend You Zhangjing,” then turns to Zhangjing, “my dearest best friend in the whole world this here is my cousin Lin Yanjun. But I guess you two should already know each other”. He turns back to Yanjun and tells him that his mom has invited Zhangjing for dinner since he is basically a family member by now. Yanjun just nods slightly in acknowledgement and succeeds in not showing his astonishment of seeing Zhangjing at one of his family gathering.

The two moms finish setting up everything and they gather around the dining table. Chaoze’s mom holds a short speech, thanking them for attending her modest birthday party before they start eating. Chaoze is surprised and mostly relieved that Zhangjing and Yanjun have not started any fights yet which is mostly because Zhangjing is busy shoving down all kinds of dishes that his mother and aunt have prepared with great appetite. He looks over to Yanjun who is sitting across from Zhangjing and next to his own mother and holds back a laugh. Yanjun is watching Zhangjing eat, his eyes and mouth widely open in shock, not sure on how much that tiny person can fit into his body. Zhangjing has finished his fourth bowl and is scooping another serving ready to eat more of the delicious dishes when he looks up and meets eyes with Yanjun and sees his perplexed expression. He raises an eyebrow at him and his eyes display the question on why Yanjun is looking at him like that.

“How can all of that fit into you?”, Yanjun finally asks while gesturing at the dishes. “I mean you’re pretty small and you’re always eating whenever I see you. Are you not afraid to get fat?” His statement and blunt question makes everyone at the table stop their conversations and look over to them. “Lin Yanjun, that’s not very nice. Apologize to him!”, his mother demands and looks at Zhangjing apologetically. Yanjun just ignores her, not really seeing why he should apologize to the other when he is just asking him about his eating behavior and stating facts. “I’m only saying the truth. Besides he just signed with our company and told me he is a singer, shouldn’t he take more care of his weight and appearance then? It’s not easy to keep your status in the entertainment industry, you will always have live up to the fans expectations.”

A pregnant silence follows before Zhangjing puts down his chopsticks. Every pair of eyes turn towards him once again. Zhangjing turns towards Chaoze’s mom and apologizes for this incident and that it has to happen on her birthday before turning towards Yanjun with a glare. “I think Lin Yanjun and I should finish this conversation alone.”, he says and gets up, walking towards Chaoze’s room. He turns back once he arrives in front of the door to look at the still seated Yanjun with a challenging look in his eyes daring him to follow him. Yanjun smirks, not seeing why he should back down and also gets up. With his hands in his pants pocket he walks over to Zhangjing and both of them disappear into Chaoze’s room. “Please don’t break anything!”, they hear the room’s owner say before Yanjun closes the door behind him.

The elders exchange worried looks and turn towards Chaoze who has continued with his meal. “Will Zhangjing be alright?”, his aunt asks him. Chaoze chuckles and gulps down the food before answering her question. “I’m more worried about Yanjun.”

Inside the room Zhangjing turns around and faces a still smirking Yanjun with an annoyed and furious glare. “Seriously, what is your problem? What have I ever done to you?”, he asks crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I was only stating facts as your senior. Besides it’s fun to mess with you”, Yanjun answers with a playful shrug.

“Oh, so what you’re saying is that your fans only like you for your outer appearance and not because you have got any talent?”, Zhangjing mocks him and it seems like it hit some nerve inside Yanjun as his expression immediately changes and a seriousness appears instead of the playfulness from a few seconds before. He takes a few steps towards him until he is within the other’s personal space. “You have no right to judge me”, he says in an even lower voice than his usual. Zhangjing is not afraid of him and doesn’t back down as he glares back at the taller. “Right back at you. How much and whatever I eat is my own decision.”, Zhangjing responds and pushes Yanjun away from him. “As I can see that we both have clashing characters and probably won’t get along any time soon, I would like to suggest that we will just ignore each other from now on unless it is necessary or unavoidable.”, he adds before opening the door and leaves the room joining the others with his usual smile at the table and resumes with his meal.

Yanjun follows him shortly after, frown still visible and with no intention to satisfy the other with following his suggestion.

-

Xukun looks at the two bags he is holding in his hands while waiting for the elevator to arrive at the desired floor. He was still feeling bad for what happened a few days ago and decided to make up for it by bringing Ziyi some dinner after confirming the other will be in his office with Ruibin who told him that it wasn’t unusual for Ziyi to stay in his office way past their usual clock off time. Xukun exits the elevator at the ninth-floor walking down the hallway towards Ziyi’s office and passing the empty desk Ruibin is usually sitting at. He knocks on the door but gets no reply but light is shining through the crack underneath the door indicating that Ziyi should still be there. He waits a few minutes and knocks on the door again before deciding to just try his luck and see whether the door is locked, if it is then Ziyi probably already left and forgot to switch off the light, if not then Xukun will just wait or leave the food on his desk. Putting his hand on the door knob he pushes it down and the door opens towards the inside of the room. He peeks inside but doesn’t find Ziyi at his desk. Seeing as Ziyi’s coat is still hanging on the coat hanger and his computer is only switched on standby gives him enough evidence to make a conclusion. He walks inside cautiously, the feeling of not belonging in this kind of environment washes over him making him conscious of his every move even though no one else is inside the room besides himself. 

After moving the stack of documents and files that are lying on the desk to the side to have some free space he carefully places down the two bags. He looks around again trying to find any clue of where the elder male could be but finds nothing that could help him. Xukun contemplates on whether he should just leave a note or a short message for Ziyi and leave. He still has a flight to catch the next day and even though the flight is not scheduled before noon he would still need to arrive early for the check in and security clearance. His bag is already packed and waiting at home, containing not much but some outfits sufficient for three days out of five he will be away. The other two days he will be spending shooting for a magazine pictorial and a commercial for another product he is endorsing.

Xukun picks up a note pad and a pen and writes a short note for Ziyi, attaching it on one of the bags. He gets up, leaves the office, passes Ruibin’s desk and stops when he catches a glimpse of the office Ziyi lead him to and from where he took the spare clothes for Xukun to change into the first time they met. Xukun decides to check this office for Ziyi too before he leaves. He knocks on the door and waits but doesn’t get any reaction again but when he just turned around to walk towards the elevator the door suddenly gets pulled open and Ziyi appears in front of him surprised to find Xukun instead of the security guard who usually goes on patrol at this hour.

“Oh, Kunkun what are you doing here so late?”, Ziyi asks Xukun who looks shyly to the ground realizing that he didn’t think about what to tell the other in person when he meets him and was actually glad that he couldn’t find Ziyi in his office before. He looks up and meets eyes with Ziyi who is gently smiling at him and waiting for his reply. “I bought you some dinner as an apology for last time’s canceled lunch but didn’t find you in your office so I left the food on your desk.”, Xukun quickly answers and watches the elder’s face beams in joy, happy about Xukun’s attentiveness. “Thank you but you didn’t have to Kunkun. Will you join me?”, Ziyi asks with blinding hopefulness in his eyes which Xukun just could not decline and instead nods in return. He decides to just sleep less and make up for the lack of sleep on his plane right and hopes to still be able to look his best for his shootings.

“I’ll go get the food, you can come inside and make yourself comfortable.”, Ziyi says before he walks towards his other office. Xukun walks in and looks around and notices three smaller monitors lined up next to each other on the table in the right corner and are probably connected to the Laptop which has some video editing program opened. A bigger monitor the size of a TV is hanging on the wall next to the work station and directly opposite to it is the L-shaped couch with a coffee table where Xukun decides to sit down to wait for Ziyi’s return. The elder doesn’t take long and comes back with the two bags of food in one hand and his belongings in the other hand. He puts them down before closing the door of the editing office behind him and joins Xukun on the couch. Ziyi unpacks the food and gives Xukun one of the pair of chopsticks which has been lying in the bags but Xukun shakes his head as he has already eaten dinner a while ago and has to be mindful of his diet.

“The food is for you. I didn’t know what you like so I bought quite a lot.”, he says and remembers his dilemma when he stood in front of the counter of the restaurant and couldn’t decide what to pick. He realized how little he knew about Ziyi even when they have been texting every day. If he has to compare himself to Ziyi he is sure the other male knows way more about his likes and dislikes than he does about him.

“I’ll eat whatever you buy Kunkun.”, Ziyi tells him before digging in his food. He didn’t realize how hungry he was while working on editing the current project before tasting the first bits of food. He moans slightly, savoring the taste before taking his next bite. He’s happy about Xukun’s choice of dishes but even more about the fact that the younger has thought of him and bought him food, even keeping him company now.

Xukun didn’t notice that he was holding his breath in nervousness and only sighs in relieve when he sees how Ziyi is eating the food so enthusiastically, liking his choice of dishes. “Do you usually not eat dinner when you work overtime?”, he asks Ziyi and hands him a bottle of water. Ziyi takes a gulp out of the bottle first before he replies to Xukun. “I usually forget it when I’m too immerged in my work. Sometimes when either Jeffrey or Yanjun or both of them have no more schedule for the night they will come over and try to drag me out of my office.”, Ziyi tells him with an amused smile like it is nothing to be concerned about. Xukun frowns, remembering Jeffrey’s words during one of their conversations which now got confirmed by the very own topics main subject. “That’s not healthy Ziyi!”, he reprimands him, imitating Zhengting’s disapproving face whenever he is lecturing Chengcheng or Justin or sometimes himself.

Ziyi is surprised to have Xukun react so disapprovingly. He has never seen the other this way before, Xukun was always either sad, shy or really cute in his eyes but now he is getting to know a whole new side of the younger, the caring side. Xukun cares about his well-being and it makes his heart skips a beat. Ziyi finds himself fall for the younger just a bit more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update.  
> I had an irritation in my right inner ear and it made me feel so sick that I couldn't write anything or even think without having a headache. It got better now but the ear still hurts sometimes. 
> 
> Hope you guys like the update and feel free to leave comments ~


	17. Chapter 17

Xukun arouses from his nap when someone shakes him lightly by the shoulder. He blinks a few times still drowsy and stretches his limbs to get rid of the soreness from sleeping while sitting down. He catches his reflection in the mirror in front of him and takes notice of the change in hair-color. The fashion label he is going to shoot the pictorial for send over a last-minute notice, requesting him to change his natural black hair to a goldish blond color and that is also the reason why his manager came over to pick him up earlier than expected this morning.

Xukun has stayed in Ziyi’s office with the elder male until around two o’clock in the morning watching him finish up the segment of Yanjun’s new music video he was working on and was glad when Ziyi insisted in driving him home not too keen on letting him take public transportation so late at night which Xukun appreciates since he also doesn’t like to be alone out this late. He didn’t think time would pass so quickly just watching Ziyi work, he admits he found himself getting carried away starring at him multiple times in those few hours he stayed with him in the editing office. The elder emits that charm Xukun cannot explain when he is working on something, totally absorbed and focused on the task and gives off that soft contented smile every time he succeeds in implementing his ideas or is satisfied with the outcome of his work. Ziyi has turned towards him a few times showing him the progress and explained to him what he is doing. Even though the video is not finished yet, the parts Ziyi showed him already looks really promising and he is now also looking forward to watching the finished MV.

Without realizing it he dozed off on their way back to his apartment in the middle of a conversation with Ziyi about projects the elder has and is working on. Xukun also didn’t notice their arrival in front of his apartment building and only jolted awake when Ziyi softly woke him up. As caring as Ziyi is, he insisted to walk him to the front door of the building to make sure Xukun is safe and the younger, even when he declined at first gave in easily, finding himself walking side by side with Ziyi towards the entrance. They stopped in front of the door and turned towards each other. Ziyi has pat him on the head and wished him a good night before he leaned in and planted a short kiss on his forehead without any prior warning. Xukun is sure he must have turned bright red from the other’s action but his mind short-circuited so he doesn’t remember exactly what he did before finding himself within the four walls of his apartment, hand clutching his chest trying to calm down his fast beating heart. The event made him lie in bed sleepless for a few hours only falling asleep when the first sunrays hit his window.

The change of plans from the fashion label made him get woken up from his sleep way earlier than expected and his lack of sleep shows through the dark circles underneath his eyes. He is lucky that his manager feels more lenient towards him today thinking he was the reason for Xukun’s lack of sleep.

Xukun suppresses another yawn and gets up from the seat thanking the hair stylist before putting on a mask and cap as his disguise. His manager rushes him towards the van since they are slightly behind schedule. Ziyi has sent him a good morning message as per usual but he didn’t dare to open it not sure whether he has to give the other any reaction after the event of the last night and he doesn’t want to text him anything while in his dazed and sleep deprived state. He probably dozed off again as he realizes that they’ve arrived at the airport the next time he opens his eyes and his manager giving him a quick briefing while checking the necessary security measures with the airport staff on his phone. They wait in the van for about ten more minutes in which Xukun takes the time and watches his fans waiting outside, phones and cameras in their hands ready to take some shots of him once he gets off the van but are also holding banners and presents while chanting his name. Xukun always gets impressed seeing how much support his fans give him, thankful for their love and immediately feels more energized. He just hopes they will give him enough privacy so he can rest on the plane ride as he really wants to be in his best state once he arrives in LA. 

The security clears a pathway and position themselves before giving them the sign to get off the van. His manager, his personal stylist and another staff member from the company get off first and take care of the luggage putting them on a cart which his stylist and the staff member push inside the airport first while his manager opens the van’s door for Xukun. His name gets called out louder now as each fan wants to attract his attention. He stays in front of the van and let them take some photos not wanting them to go home empty handed before following his manager inside the airport with the security guarding his sides. He waits at the side with the security guards while his manager joins the other two at the check-in counter. Some of the fans have followed them inside and Xukun pulls down his cap to cover his face trying to block the view hoping that none of them will notice his dark circles beneath the concealer he applied earlier. He takes out his phone to look busy but accidentally ends up opening Ziyi’s message. Xukun curses and panics in his mind, Ziyi’s message now turned from unread to read.

 

_09:15_

_Wang Ziyi_

_Good morning Kunkun_ ♥

_I hope you slept well._ :)

 

He stares at the text message, considering on what he should do. If he doesn’t reply and leave Ziyi on read it would probably be too rude and Xukun doesn’t know how the elder would react to that but he also doesn’t know what to reply. Memories of last night flashes through his mind and Xukun is glad his face is covered up by the mask and the cap or else, he is sure, his fans would have a field day on weibo later discussing on why he turned bright red in the middle of the airport while staring at his phone. Making up his mind he starts typing in a reply when his phone vibrates and a new message appears.

 

_11:44_

_Wang Ziyi_

_I can see you. Don’t leave me on read_ :(

 

He nearly drops his phone after reading the message and lifts his head looking around the airport in search for the taller male not sure whether Ziyi is just joking or really somewhere inside the airport and is watching him. He looks confusedly at his fans when they lift up their cameras again and start to squeal and murmur even though he isn’t doing anything special in particular. Xukun can feel another presence stopping right next him and he is surprised of himself for recognizing who it is without having to turn around to check it. A hand lands on his head and pats him lightly making his fans scream louder and the sound of endless shutter releases echo through the departure terminal of Shanghai Pudong Airport. However, all sounds fall silent as Xukun can only hear his own heartbeat pounding against his chest. With one glance towards his side he catches the sight of Wang Ziyi smiling back at him.

The elder leans down next to his ear, observing the blond strands peeking out beneath the cap and fixes the strand behind Xukun’s ear. “You dyed your hair Kunkun”, Ziyi states surprised, clearly remembering Xukun still having black hair when he dropped him off at his apartment. Ziyi’s statement makes him shift slightly, conscious of his appearance and doubting his look even when he knows he looks good since he already has dyed his hair blond once before. 

“Is it strange?”, he mumbles but Ziyi still catches his question due to how close they are standing next to each other. Ziyi chuckles lightly before he moves his face closer to the younger’s ear again and gives him the answer which is only meant for Xukun to hear. “No matter what hair color you have, you will always be beautiful to me.”

 

He moves back a step and Xukun can feel the sincerity of Ziyi’s words as their eyes meet.

Xukun feels a warmth flooding through his body giving him a tingling sensation. They stay like this, in their own bubble where time stops and nothing and no one else matters. He jolts, awakening from the state they were in when he hears his manager calling him and clears his throat to get his composure back and makes gestures towards Ziyi indicating that he has to leave. “I need to go now.”, he says looking at the elder who is now standing in front of him. Ziyi nods in acknowledgement and takes a few steps towards the direction of the gate Xukun has to go to but stops and turns back to the younger looking at him questioningly to why he is not moving. “Let’s go Kunkun.”, he says to him. Xukun reciprocates Ziyi’s look with his own confused one, he is asking himself whether Ziyi is here to send him off but he doesn’t remember telling him anything about his oversea schedule. He still follows the elder and they both walk towards the gate where his manager and staff are already waiting for him. His manager hands him his passport and flight ticket for the airport staff to check later. Xukun turns to Ziyi wanting to bid goodbye to him but sees him taking out his own passport and flight ticket from the bag he is carrying. 

“Are you going on a business trip?”, he asks him and Ziyi nods. “I’m meeting some business partners and also plan on checking the set and some places for upcoming projects.” They queue up for the security check, the security guards are now gone as only flight passengers with a valid ticket can come into this area. Nevertheless, some fans seem to have booked the same flight as him and are also queuing in the lines next to them.

Ziyi has to take out his laptop from his bag and put it into a separate box. In another he puts in the camera bag and equipment he took with him for this trip. The younger watches him while he himself is not carrying anything besides his phone, headphones and passport. They go through the security check quickly without any difficulties before an airport staff shows them the way to the VIP area to have more privacy. 

Once inside they split up, his manager and the two staff members settling down at a nearby table to go through their schedule, leaving Xukun alone with Ziyi. “You haven’t told me where you’re flying to.”, he says to Ziyi curious about the destination. Ziyi looks up from his phone after checking it for any new messages and emails and sending out tasks for the others in the office to take care of while he is on the plane. “I’m also going to LA.”, he answers and watches Xukun’s expression turning from curious to surprised. 

As it turned out Ziyi has told him on the ride home the night before about his trip to LA but he didn’t catch the information since he dozed off in the middle of their conversation. As chance would have it they share the same flight and Ziyi was surprised himself when he caught a glimpse of the younger earlier after he finished his check-in at the counter. Ziyi fells especially lucky about this coincidence, he thought he would only see Xukun after the week he is going to be away.

“Is your manager sitting next to you?”, he asks Xukun after they checked their seat numbers while waiting in the priority and business class lane for boarding. “I guess, he’s usually my seatmate on plane rides. Why?”, Xukun asks him but Ziyi just walks away towards the younger’s manager and talks to him about something Xukun can’t hear. He watches them, his manager looking from Ziyi to him before nodding at Ziyi making him flash a wide smile back. Ziyi then comes back and stops next to him. “Well, today I’m your seatmate.”

 

At first Xukun wasn’t sure how he is supposed to fall asleep while sitting next to Wang Ziyi during a twelve-hour long flight but he pretty much falls asleep the minute the airplane took off. When he finally wakes up, he notices that someone has pushed back his seat and tucked the blanket around his body making sure he is feeling as comfortable as possible. The light inside the aircraft is dimed to get adjusted to the local time of their destination easier once they arrive and most passengers are sleeping or watching a movie or something else on the screen attached on the backrest of the seat in front of them. The airplane’s business class seats are divided into rows of four, two window seats and two aisle seats attached to each other and only divided by a wall which can be pushed down. Ziyi has exchanged his window seat for his manager’s aisle seat just to be his seatmate. Xukun shifts, turning to his right side towards Ziyi’s seat. The divider has been pulled up hiding the person behind it from his view but from the light emitting from the other side Xukun assumes that Ziyi is still awake. He takes out his phone from the drawer of his seat and checks the time and to his shock he notices that he has slept over six hours since the departure.

Xukun sits up and stretches his limbs. He moves closer to the divider before lifting himself up a bit to glance over the it. Just like he already assumed, he finds Ziyi is sitting in his seat with his headphones in his ears, laptop on the pull-out table and eyes directed at the screen probably working on editing another video. The pressure he is putting on the wall with his hands is slightly too much as it slides down and makes the other male look away from his laptop towards Xukun. Embarrassed of being exposed Xukun hides his face behind his hands which gains him a suppressed laugh from Ziyi who is taking his headphones out and put them on the table next to his laptop.

“Did you sleep well Kunkun?”, Ziyi asks him in a whisper to not disturb the other passengers around them. Xukun nods, face still hidden behind his hands. “If you’re hungry you can call one of the stewardess, I didn’t want to wake you up earlier.”, Ziyi continues, still watching Xukun’s cute reaction as his stomach growls at the mention of food. “Thank you”, Xukun replies as he slowly puts down his hands, glad that the lights are dimed so that Ziyi probably won’t notice his slightly flustered face. He follows Ziyi’s advice and asks one of the stewardess to bring him a late meal. Xukun with his head resting on his crossed arms, watches Ziyi who resumes working on his laptop, as he waits for the food to be reheated and wonders if the other male has taken any naps or has been awake since this morning.

“Ziyi”, he calls out and waits for Ziyi to turn towards him but only gets a short acknowledging answer in return making him pout. “Wang Ziyi”, Xukun tries again with a whiny sounding voice and succeeds to get the other’s full attention this time.

“Did you sleep at all? All you do is work”, he remarks and points at Ziyi’s laptop. “If I weren’t on this plane I would probably still be in the office finishing this on a regular day. I’m used to this Kunkun, I don’t need much sleep.”, Ziyi replies after checking the current local time in Shanghai which would be around seven to eight o’clock in the evening. He is used to work overtime and usually doesn’t have any jet lag after a long-distance flight that is why he decided to use the spare time to finish some work and edits on the plane. Xukun’s face shows his disapproval to Ziyi’s answer, not liking the thought of how easy Ziyi is taking the whole “not needing to sleep” issue.

“But won’t you have to stay awake for almost the whole day once we arrive in LA.”, Xukun points out. “It will only be around ten in the morning when we land.”

“I’ll be alright, don’t worry”, Ziyi replies but it doesn’t make him any less worried or in any way satisfied by his answer. He keeps frowning at Ziyi, only thanking the stewardess quickly for the meal when it got brought to him and leaves it untouched on the pull-out table in front of him.

“Why won’t you eat Kunkun? It will get cold.”, Ziyi says after observing the younger for a while. “Not hungry”, the younger shrugs but the growl of his stomach betrays him. Ziyi sighs and turns to his laptop saving the files and closing the programs before turning the device off and back to Xukun. “I’ll try to get some sleep after you finished eating.”, Ziyi says giving in to Xukun’s stubbornness. “Really?”, Xukun asks him to make sure Ziyi is really meaning what he said. Ziyi chuckles and ruffles the other’s hair. “Yes really, didn’t I already turn off my laptop?”, he adds and points at the device. Xukun’s gaze follows Ziyi’s finger before returning to Ziyi’s face giving him a satisfied and gleeful smile, proud of his accomplishment in getting the elder to take some rest.

Ziyi leans back against his seat and watches the younger devour the food in front of him. The thought of how easily he gives in to him scares Ziyi but the contented feeling and the way his heart melts every time Xukun looks at him with that delighted smile is enough to forget about any worries. His work can wait what matters is the one sitting next to him right now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much~   
> The irritation is not fully gone yet and I have to let the doctor check my ear on Friday again but I hope it will be fully healed by then. 
> 
> This chapter was full of Zikun but don't worry I won't neglect the other two couples.  
> Feel free to leave comments :)


	18. Chapter 18

The past few days Zhangjing has been practicing the duet with Nongnong almost to perfection. They both get along really well even though there is an age gap of six years it is almost unnoticeable as the younger is more mature for his age than one would expect. Both of them finished going through the song one more time and decide to take a break. “Nongnong, let’s go eat something.”, Zhangjing suggests getting up from his seat. “Didn’t we just eat?”, Nongnong replies looking at the empty take away bags still lying on the table in front of them. Zhangjing with a serious expression on his face puts a hand on the younger’s shoulder about to teach him a very important life lesson. “What we ate was the main course and what we are about to go eat is the dessert. Every person on this planet has a second stomach for desserts but not everyone knows about it, so I just told you one of the world’s most classified secrets. You should make use of it, got it?”

They both stare at each other with mirrored seriousness before they crack up and start laughing out loudly. “You’re right, indeed wise words. I thank you for sharing such a grave secret with me.”, Nongnong says as he gets up and takes his belongings. Happy of his accomplishment of being able to convince the younger so easily he even offers to treat him.

The café is unusually crowded today with mostly office workers from around the area but there are also some fans waiting for their idols sitting inside the café with bags of presents ready to be given to them. Some of them start to squeal once Zhangjing and Nongnong enter the café and since they had no way of knowing his identity they surely have to act that way because of Nongnong who is more focused on what he should pick than noticing them. Zhangjing amusingly watches the girls get up from their seats and slowly make their way to where they are standing in line, discussing and contemplating among one another on how to approach Nongnong before finally finding the courage. The younger’s reaction is way too adorable when he finally realizes what those girls want from him as he didn’t expect to encounter any fans after his debut this soon. He thanks them repeatedly for the presents and support and even takes some photos with them, only excusing himself when the line behind them keeps on growing longer and the people behind them start to look annoyed as they are kept waiting. Zhangjing and Nongnong quickly go to the counter and place their order before they sit down at the last free table towards the back of the café.

“I feel so honored to be sitting here with the uprising star Chen Linong. Don’t forget me when you’re famous.”, Zhangjing says dramatically while wiping a fake tear away. Nongnong hides his face behind his hands flustered and embarrassed from not being used to the attention from the people. “Don’t you want to go through the presents?”, Zhangjing asks him in between taking bites off his cake slice to which the younger answers with a shake of the head. “It doesn’t matter what they give me, they actually don’t need to give me anything and I would still be happy.”

Hearing those words makes Zhangjing want to protect the boy from anything that could taint his innocence and humbleness especially because he knows how dangerous the entertainment industry is and how even the smallest thing could change a person’s personality. He’s seen so many of the newly debuted singers and idols get side tracked during his time at the old company, relying on the popularity they gained, taking their fans support for granted and acting all high and mighty. He shudders slightly from the memory and quickly pushes those thoughts away directing his attention back to Nongnong and the dessert lying in front of him.

Halfway through finishing their cake pieces and drinks they hear a group of fangirls squeal and find no other than Lin Yanjun with another male entering the café when they turn their heads towards the front. Zhangjing rolls his eyes watching Yanjun pose for his fans with his stupid smile, dimples showing and with his perfect set of teeth blinding them. It’s just his stupid luck to bump into the silver-haired male every time he is visiting the café but he hopes that the other will follow his suggestion to just ignore each other this time and leave Zhangjing alone. Nongnong on the other hand doesn’t seem to have the same thought in mind when he gets up from his seat and calls out the names of the other two to get their attention to Zhangjing’s dismay. He groans and rubs his temples praying that Yanjun and the other male will just leave but gets disappointed when he looks up again and sees them standing at their table. The younger greets them enthusiastically while he just sips on his drink hanging on to his original plan of ignoring Lin Yanjun’s presence.

It seems to work pretty fine until the too friendly boy tells them that he is here with his duet partner and gestures towards Zhangjing who really just wants to facepalm himself and disappear into thin air. He looks up and waves at them meeting Yanjun’s piercing gaze and quickly turns his own towards the other male next to Yanjun who holds out his hand for a handshake.

“Hi, I’m Jeffrey”, the other male whose name he now knows introduces himself with a friendly smile. Zhangjing gets up from his seat and introduces himself to Jeffrey too, returning the friendly gesture as he doesn’t want to be impolite to someone he just met without any particular reason.

“Oh, you’re You Zhangjing”, Jeffrey says in recognition while glancing towards Yanjun, leaving Zhangjing confused about his reaction. Nongnong who doesn’t seem to notice the awkwardness and tension between them offers Yanjun and Jeffrey to join them as there are no more available seats left around the café. Zhangjing widens his eyes, head turning towards the younger in the speed of lightning before shaking his head. “I don’t think they want to join us, they look busy and probably are going to take their order to go.”, he says and glares at Yanjun signaling him to keep their new unspoken rule.

Yanjun who has been quiet the whole time, busy observing the situation, starts to grin mischievously before sitting down on one of the two available seats upon hearing Zhangjing’s seemingly distressed exclamation and ignores his warning gaze. The smaller male has been right about his assumption of them just wanting to quickly grab some coffee to go and return to the company but Yanjun changed his mind, intending to annoy him to the fullest. Jeffrey watches him before he chuckles in disbelief and decides to go order their drinks for them as Yanjun doesn’t seem to be getting off the seat any time soon.

Zhangjing and Nongnong sit back down and while the elder of the two is determined to ignore Yanjun the younger starts a conversation with him. Yanjun answers the younger’s question without any hesitation but his gaze is fixed on Zhangjing, watching him finish his drink in annoyance makes his smug expression grow wider. When Jeffrey returns with their drinks in his hands and settles down next to Yanjun he nudges him with his elbow when he notices how his friend keeps on staring at Zhangjing but doesn’t get him to stop or even the slightest attention from him. Instead Yanjun suddenly stretches his hand out and takes the plate with the half-eaten cake from right in front of Zhangjing and eats it up in a few bites.

Nongnong’s and Jeffrey’s mouths fall open in shock as they watch him, turning their gazes from Zhangjing to Yanjun and back to the smaller of the two. The youngest of them gulps fearfully remembering how Zhangjing reacted the last time he accidentally finished his snack without asking him first. As you would expect it didn’t end well and he had to endure You Zhangjing’s wrath for the rest of their practice only able to reconcile with him after he promised to compensate him by taking him out for hotpot later. He turns his gaze towards Jeffrey trying to signal a warning to him to quickly leave with Yanjun before the next world war breaks out but the elder looks back at him with a lost and scared expression which indicates that he doesn’t seem to understand his warning.

Yanjun who just finished gulping down the last bite leans back against his seat and takes a sip from his drink waiting for Zhangjing’s reaction. He has been dissatisfied by the little reaction he got from the smaller male as he kept on ignoring him and contemplated on what he should do. Remembering their history of fights regarding the cake from this café he acts out his thought even before he could realize what he was doing himself. The sight that he is being rewarded with now is a bit scarier than what he has expected as Zhangjing looks like he is about to murder someone and that someone being him. He slowly puts down his drink and smiles at him nervously trying to distract him with his charisma which usually works with his fangirls but it doesn’t help in this case and only makes Zhangjing more irritated seeing Yanjun smiling at him as if he is mocking him. Yanjun’s flight instincts take over as he realizes that his attempt failed, body ready to bolt out of the seat he is sitting on but he still gets taken by surprise and jumps slightly when Zhangjing puts his cup down forcefully on the table. Guests from around them all turn towards their table as they also hear the loud sound of the impact the cup made when it hit the table, some of them curious about what is going on while others are annoyed of being disturbed during their conversations. Lucky for the four of them the guests lose their interest quickly or are just not watching to not be impolite.

Just when Yanjun closes his eyes, arms held up to protect his handsome face, thinking that Zhangjing is about to hit him as he raises from his seat, arm raised and ready to strike out, he gets surprised when nothing happens and he opens his eyes again after a few minutes to find Jeffrey telling him that Zhangjing has left the café visibly annoyed with Nongnong quickly following him.

“Why did you do that? For a moment, it looked like he was about to murder you.”, Jeffrey pauses to observe his friend who looks like he just lost a few years of his lifetime. “And to be honest, the thought of just letting him do it crossed my mind. I think it would have been a great life lesson to you. Stop acting like a jerk. Or more like a child seeking for attention or whatever your action from a little while ago was supposed to achieve.”

Yanjun exhales the breath he didn’t realize he was holding in. He turns towards Jeffrey after he has calmed down a bit and sees the disapproving look on his face. He shrugs trying to play it cool, but if he has to be honest about the situation he also doesn’t know what exactly he wanted to gain from his actions. It just excites him whenever he successfully gets Zhangjing riled up, especially when the other is determined to ignore him which strangely annoys him to no end. 

-

Xukun yawns as he leans against the window of the van on his way to the shooting location. It is still in the middle of the night but the crew set off early since they want to capture the sunrise for today’s pictorial. They arrived in Los Angeles less than twenty hours ago and he’s glad he got to catch some sleep when they were still on the plane as he couldn’t get accustomed to the time zone yet. His thoughts wander off to Ziyi whom he parted ways with after they landed in LAX as the elder directly went to a meeting after freshening up in the hotel. As they both are on a business trip the company has booked their flights and accommodations for them and it turned out they share the same hotel too after being on the same flight. Xukun has not seen the other male since they parted ways in the hotel lobby after being given their room cards but Ziyi has been continuously texting him reminding him to eat and rest when he should be the one being reminded to take enough rest. The last message he received from Ziyi is from an hour ago wishing him a good day at work which he read when he got woken up by his manager. Xukun couldn’t imagine how messed up Ziyi’s sleep pattern has to be considering how he was still awake after the long flight and working the whole day. He checks the time on his phone and makes sure that he has not received any reply from the elder male hoping that he finally went to bed instead of working on his laptop.  

The shooting went pretty well at their first location with the sunrise setting the perfect mood and Xukun instantly giving the photographer what he was looking for. They finish the first set of photos quickly and let everyone enjoy the last minutes of the sunrise. Xukun takes out his phone to capture the moment through some photos and a short video clip. He reviews them afterwards to see which ones turned out better than the others when a new notification appears on his phone’s screen displaying an incoming message from Ziyi.

 

_06:13_

_Wang Ziyi_

_Good morning Kunkun_ _♥_

_How did the shooting go? Did you succeed in capturing the sunrise?_

 

Xukun stares at the message in shock. The last message he received from Ziyi is barely three hours ago and if he already sends him a new message it means that Ziyi is still awake or only slept for less than three hours. He quickly types in a reply and attaches one of the photo he took of the sunrise earlier before clicking on the send button.

 

_06:18_

_Why are you awake this early? You should take more rest, Ziyi!_

_It’s not healthy for you_ :(

_And the shooting went well, the sunrise was really beautiful_ :)

 

He puts his phone away afterwards as the staff is calling him over to get a retouch for the next set of photos. The next time he gets the chance to check his phone is when they are on their way to the next shooting location and the display shows him that it is already past eleven o’clock.

 

_06:43_

_Wang Ziyi_

_I have a breakfast meeting scheduled for_ _8 o’clock. The sunrise is indeed breathtaking but you’re still more stunning_ :)

 

Xukun reads the message with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he is getting more and more worried about Ziyi about how he can hold up for so long with the few hours of sleep he is getting. On the other hand, he feels his face getting slightly warmer by the comment the other made about the picture he sent him. He finds himself smiling shyly while rereading the sentence over and over again but decides to not comment on it when he sends Ziyi his reply. They arrive at their next location shortly after and the staff distribute lunch boxes to each of them giving them the time to eat before they proceed with the shooting. While eating his lunch his mind wanders off to Ziyi again wondering whether he is eating lunch too or skipping it like he usually does and it makes him frown at his own lunch with a visible pout.

His mood slightly improves when his phone vibrates again with a new message from Ziyi in which he reminds him to eat and drink a lot of water in the hot weather and as if Ziyi has felt Xukun’s worry he sent him a photo of himself inside a restaurant, in front of him sits a variety of delicious looking dishes which Ziyi is looking at lovingly. It makes Xukun slightly envious but also relieved at the same time as it turns out that he was overthinking things when he doesn’t have to worry as much about Ziyi as he did because the elder male is fully capable of taking care of himself. Xukun looks at the photo for a while longer reasoning with himself that it is because of the food and not because of Ziyi who looks absolutely amazing in his navy colored suit with his hair left opened and pushed towards the back of his head instead of his usual pony tail. It’s not like he doesn’t like Ziyi with his pony tail but Ziyi just has another vibe to him whenever he leaves his hair open which intrigues Xukun in a way he still doesn’t understand.

The rest of the shooting goes on smoothly with occasional breaks in between for the photographer to review the shots with Xukun or for him to get changed into another set of clothes. They visit about six locations in total throughout the day and the sun has set when they finally arrive at the hotel after the shooting has ended. Xukun thanks the staff and crew before he leaves them to do their work and goes up to his hotel room while his manager leaves to take care of their late dinner. He removes the make up on his face once he is inside his hotel room and takes a shower washing off the sweat and dirt from working outside the whole day. Xukun lies on the bed scrolling through his social media accounts while he waits for his manager to return with some food. Thinking of food makes his stomach growl and he groans seeing that his manager is taking longer than expected.

Xukun is about to send him a message asking for his whereabouts when he hears a knock at the door. He quickly gets up, sprinting towards the door thinking that it is his manager with the food but is surprised to find Ziyi standing in front of his door when he checks the door viewer.

“Kunkun? It’s me, Ziyi.”, he hears the elder male say and quickly looks down checking his outfit. Xukun who didn’t plan to meet anyone besides his manager has put on some comfortable clothes consisting of a white shirt and some tracksuit bottoms after his shower. The sudden appearance of Ziyi makes him conscious of his choice even though Ziyi has seen him in similar clothes before. Speaking of that, he just noticed that he has taken Ziyi’s Louis Vuitton shirt from when he slept over at his place with him to Los Angeles and is currently wearing it when he in a fact planned to return the clothes to Ziyi. Xukun panics and start to think of ways to avoid having to open the door or how to stall him until he can change into another shirt fearing the awkwardness between them once the elder would realize what he is wearing. But the constant knock on the door doesn’t let him think rationally and time pass by which he could have used get changed.

 

Ziyi knocks on the door again, getting worried as he didn’t get any reaction from Xukun after five more minutes even though he heard footsteps coming from inside the room. “Kunkun? Are you alright?”, he asks in a louder voice with his phone in his left-hand ready to call the reception in case Xukun really needs help or any assistance. He finally hears the younger’s voice cursing at something inaudibly before the door opens but only leaves a small gap in which Xukun’s head appears smiling at him sheepishly.

“Oh, hey Ziyi. Ehm … what do you need?”, Xukun asks him still standing behind the door and through the gap he left opened. Ziyi observes him for a few seconds, wondering why he is acting so strange. “I met your manager in the lobby, he was supposed to get you some dinner but something came up so I offered to take you out.”, Ziyi replies and smiles at him, waiting for his reaction. Xukun’s mouth falls open forming an O. “Now?”, he then asks, eyes wandering down to his torso and then back to Ziyi. Ziyi nods with a raised eyebrow finding the younger’s action more than strange.

“Yes now, it’s pretty late and you do want to have dinner, right?”, Ziyi asks again but Xukun doesn’t even have to reply because his stomach growls making him flustered while Ziyi chuckles at the younger’s cuteness. “Let me get changed real quick and then we can leave.”, Xukun tells him and wants to close the door to at least get changed into another shirt and to not let Ziyi know that he is wearing his but Ziyi stops him with a hand and pushes the door further open.

“I think you look fine, you don’t need to get changed.”, Ziyi says as he walks inside the room and takes a good look at Xukun, the door falls close behind him. It takes him a few seconds longer to recognize his own shirt on the younger’s body after he said that and the sight makes him slightly flustered since he didn’t expect Xukun to wear it again. Ziyi totally forgot about letting Xukun borrow his clothes but now that he sees Xukun wearing his shirt which is slightly too big for him, reminds him of how much he likes to see the younger wearing his clothes. It makes him feel closer to Xukun as if their relationship has evolved and reached a new level of intimacy even though he knows that it is not true. At least for now because he can feel it, the messages Xukun sent him full of worry about his wellbeing, the little gestures, he knows that Xukun cares more than he probably wants to admit or show.

Ziyi watches him fiddle nervously with his shirt, face flushed and turned away looking like he just got caught in action of doing something he shouldn’t have. The sight of the flustered boy in front of him makes his heart swell and he forgets about everything else around him but the boy in front of him who makes him feel all sorts of things. He calls out his name and Xukun slowly turns his head towards him. Their eyes meet and for a moment Ziyi sees something in the other’s eyes that gives him the confirmation of the younger’s feelings for him. The confirmation that his feelings are not one sided and his efforts to win the younger’s heart are not in vain.

Ziyi’s hands reach out to cup Xukun’s face between his hands, his thumbs move over his cheeks softly, caressing them as he leans down slowly closing his eyes and kisses him. At first, he feels Xukun stiffen surprised by Ziyi’s sudden action but then he slowly relaxes against Ziyi and reciprocates the kiss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wanted to go to bed about 4 hours ago but then I started to write and write and here I am with an update. 
> 
> My ear is almost completely healed (after 3 weeks) YAAAY for anyone that would like to know about my condition. XD
> 
> Once again, feel free to leave comments ~


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG I'm so sorry for the late update, it's been like a week (?)  
> Hope I can make up for it >.<

His mind is blank like an unwritten sheet of paper when he opens his eyes again and looks right inside the soft brown eyes of Ziyi as he pulls away from the kiss to plant another one on his head. Xukun still couldn’t comprehend what just happened. One second he was nervously waiting for Ziyi’s reaction to seeing him wearing his shirt, expecting him to judge him for forgetting to return his clothes and the next Ziyi’s lips were on his own. The only thing Xukun remembers was the thought of how nice Ziyi’s lips felt before his mind went blank. Now it slowly sinks in and he feels his face heat up. Wang Ziyi just kissed him. While he is slightly panicking inside not sure on what he is supposed to do in this situation, Ziyi seems unbothered by it and is busy stroking some hair strands out of Xukun’s face before his eyes meet the younger’s again and the smile that has not left his face from the moment they opened their eyes widens just a bit more. 

“Let’s go Kunkun.”, Ziyi says softly and walks over to grab Xukun’s cap and phone from the nightstand next to his bed. Xukun who finally wakes up from his trance when Ziyi returns and looks at him expectantly quickly puts on his shoes and cap. They both leave the room and go down to the lobby asking for some recommendations for restaurants. The receptionists look up some restaurant close by which are still open and shows them the options.

At first Ziyi points out a seafood restaurant that serve lobster and oyster which caught his eye but quickly changes his mind when saw the look of distaste on Xukun’s face and asks the younger to pick a restaurant of his choice. Xukun turns towards Ziyi with an uncertain look which is asking the elder whether it is really fine for him to decide for them to which Ziyi nods giving him the confirmation.

“Can we go eat some Chinese food?”, he asks, craving for his national cuisine after being away for two days and only eating western dishes. During the breaks on set of the shooting today they provided the crew with lunch boxes and sandwiches since they were still on the road going from one location to the next and even though Xukun doesn’t mind eating them he still prefers to have something he is familiar with. He looks at Ziyi with his cute, kitten-like eyes to which Ziyi couldn’t say no to and to be honest Ziyi would have agreed to anything the younger suggests even if it were to be any of the chains of fast food restaurants or just the diner around the corner.

They let the receptionist look up a restaurant and call a cab for them as they wait and get inside the backseat of the taxi once it arrives in front of the hotel. Xukun looks out the window during their ride to the restaurant with large interest taking in the coastal view of LA by night. This is his second trip to Los Angeles and neither last nor this time did he have time to enjoy and explore the city because of the tight schedule. They pass by the Pacific Parkwhere the lights of the attractions are illuminated in contrast to the dark night sky and Xukun’s eyes light up just as brightly once he spots them with excitement.  

Ziyi watches the younger in amusement, taking in all of his expressions and reactions. He takes in the younger’s side profile and lets his eyes wander from Xukun’s excited eyes down to his lips and subconsciously lets his tongue slide over his own, wetting them, the feeling of the plump ones of the boy next to him still lingering on his own. Ziyi gulps and looks away, turning his whole body towards the other side and shifts a bit further away to stop himself from attacking the younger who is not aware of his small meltdown. He closes his eyes and starts reciting his work to do list in his mind to keep it preoccupied with something else rather than Cai Xukun and his plump and soft lips. It’s working pretty well, so good that he doesn’t notice their arrival in front of the Chinese restaurant and has to be woken up from his trance by Xukun who looks at him with worry written all over his face.

“You didn’t have to take me out for dinner if you’re tired. I know you didn’t sleep much.”, the younger tells him. Xukun’s face which leaned in to observe Ziyi’s frowning face earlier is now too close for Ziyi’s liking since his eyes wander to the younger’s lips once more and he has to gather all the strength that is left inside his tired body and mind to hold himself back from kissing him again. His train of thoughts get interrupted by the cough of the taxi driver who announces their arrival once more. Ziyi quickly takes out his purse and pays him before opening the door on his side and gets out of the car leaving the door open for Xukun to follow him. He notices that the younger’s eyes are still lingering on him but doesn’t point it out as they walk through the entrance and are greeted by a waiter who lead them to an unoccupied table.

Xukun keeps sending him not so subtle worried glances while he skims through the menu looking for the dishes he would like to eat every now and then. Ziyi on the other hand has already decided on what he would like to order which turns out to be a cup of coffee at half past nine in the evening and he is not really surprised to find the disapproving look on Xukun’s face once he turns away from the waiter to look at him.

“Ziyi, you shouldn’t drink coffee this late. You have to be able to go to sleep later.”, he reminds him before turning towards the waiter and asks him to cancel Ziyi’s coffee and in return give him a honey lemon tea followed by his own order. Even though he doesn’t want to admit it he is feeling the weariness of almost being fully awake and working for two whole days slowly wearing him down but Ziyi still couldn’t help himself from smiling at Xukun’s caring gesture, feeling all warm inside his chest and the fatigue fading away within seconds. The waiter returns with their beverages and both of them thank him. 

“You really don’t want to eat anything?”, Xukun asks Ziyi once the waiter left them to attend another table. “I ate dinner with the business partners after our meeting ended.”, Ziyi says and sips carefully at his hot cup of tea. Ziyi asks him about his shooting and Xukun is glad to tell him about the details before he takes out his phone and shows Ziyi photos of the shooting locations they went to. They only stop their conversation when the waiter returns with Xukun’s order. The younger of the two happily takes a big portion of the first dish onto his plate, slurping the spicy noodles and devours it within seconds without caring about his image and whether anyone within that restaurant would recognize him as one of China’s most sought after models. The sight is so endearing that Ziyi couldn’t stop himself from taking a photo of Xukun with his phone. The sound of the shutter gets Xukun’s attention and he looks up from his plate with noodles still halfway hanging out from his mouth towards an amused looking Ziyi whose eyes are fixed on his phone. Xukun quickly chews and gulps down the food inside his mouth, confused eyes still lingering on Ziyi.

“Did you take a photo of me?”, he asks and pouts when Ziyi turns his phone around to show him the photo, catching sight of what he himself thinks is his not so attractive looking self on the display. “Delete it! I look stupid!”, he whines, hands outstretched trying to get hold of Ziyi’s iPhone X to delete the photo but Ziyi is quicker and moves his hands out of Xukun’s reach. “It’s cute, I think I will put this as my phone’s new wallpaper.”, he says and quickly sets the photo as his wallpaper before holding his phone in a way that Xukun could see that he indeed did what he said.

“At least, take another one where I look good. What if someone sees it?”, the younger tries to persuade him but Ziyi just shakes his head and tries to resist the other’s pleading eyes. Xukun sighs in defeat and continues to eat his noodles with a visible pout on his face. Ziyi chuckles and takes another photo with his phone after seeing Xukun’s cute reactions, and loves every moment of seeing them which happens again when Xukun notices that he has taken another photo and starts whining about it again. Since Xukun is not getting Ziyi to delete the photos he thinks of a way to take revenge and picks up his own phone from the table, opens the camera app and points it towards Ziyi. A small war erupts as they both aim their phones at each other and take a vast number of photos. Some of them turn out blurry, some are out of focus but they don’t mind because they both just enjoy each other’s silliness as they make funny faces at the other. Their laughter gets slightly out of hand as the waiter comes over to ask them to tone down the volume to not disturb other guests. Both of them apologize to the waiter for their behavior and promise to tone it down as requested but couldn’t hold back the small chuckle when their eyes meet again after the waiter left.

Xukun quickly finishes his food and fights Ziyi as the older insists on paying for the meal even though he only had a cup of tea. “You can pay the next time we eat out, ok?”, Ziyi says while he holds his black credit card out to the waiter to settle the bill before they get up and leave the restaurant side by side and are greeted by a pleasant breeze.

“When does your shooting start tomorrow?”, Ziyi asks the younger as they stand next to each other. “Hm? The shooting is scheduled for ten. Why?”, Xukun replies, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “Ten. Then you can sleep in, wanna stroll around the streets before returning to the hotel?”, he asks and Xukun’s eyes light up, head nodding eagerly.

They stroll around and somehow end up at the beach. Xukun excitedly grabs Ziyi’s hand and drags him towards the shore but stops a few meters away from the approaching waves. He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath, tasting the salt that is lingering in the air and feels the gentle breeze play with the loose blond hair strands that peek out under his cap. A wide smile appears on his face as he opens his eyes again to look at the calm looking ocean. He turns towards Ziyi who has been looking at solely him the whole time. 

At first, Ziyi was surprised when Xukun suddenly took his hand but he is not complaining about it since the younger has not released his hand, yet. The sight he was presented with is more than what he could ask for. Xukun is looking at him with an infecting happiness, eyes reflecting the glimmering night sky and Ziyi is sure he could get drowned in those brown eyes without regrets. He turns his body to fully face the younger and raises the hand that is not holding Xukun’s to cup his face. Their eyes meet briefly before Ziyi closes his and leans in with his head slightly tilted to the side and plants a kiss on Xukun‘s lips. 

Xukun’s cap gets pushed off his head from Ziyi’s movement and falls down to the sandy ground. Its owner stiffens against Ziyi, surprised to be kissed by the elder the second time that night. His mind doesn’t go blank this time letting him feel what Ziyi’s kiss is causing within him. There is this strange feeling that makes his whole body tingle as heat spreads from his face and reaches every section of his body. His heart beat increases, the sound of it tuning out every other sound around them. What felt like an eternity was merely a few seconds and Xukun finds himself leaning in, following Ziyi’s lips with half lidded eyes as the elder moves away from him and breaks the kiss. It is as if his body has its own mind when it moves on its own as he releases his hold of Ziyi’s hand to wrap them around the elder’s neck pushing him down towards him and locking their lips again. He feels two strong arms wrap around his own body as they stand underneath the starry night sky, the gentle sea breeze going through their hair and lips locked in a heated kiss.

-

Justin gets off the car through the door that his driver opened for him and walks inside IP Corp. greeting everyone that passes by with a wide smile. It was just like any other day in his life where he gets home schooled in the morning before his mother let their driver drop him off at the company for him to explore the daily life of what he likes to call his second family. Today he is in an exceptional good mood, his test results came out and like always he scored full points, but that is not what makes him so happy. A mischievous smile appears on his face as he gets in the elevator to go up to the floor where the recording studios are. Justin finally succeeded to make appointments with both Xingjie and Zhou Rui for dinner, planning to ditch them once both of them arrive at the agreed on restaurant. How, he doesn’t know yet but he will find a way to leave them alone, hoping to finally see his favorite ship sailing.

The elevator stops at almost every floor to either let people out or fetch others. He is the only one left in the elevator and just has to go up one more floor before he would arrive at his desired destination. The elevator stops once more but he doesn’t see anyone waiting in front of the doors, probably because someone has pushed the wrong button earlier but to his surprise a small ball of fluff walks inside and sits down in front of him.

Justin looks down to his feet and notices that the small kitten looks familiar. He crouches down to take a closer look and indeed it is the cat that he absolutely adores which Chengcheng adopted. The small white kitten with grayish spots on its head and tummy leans against Justin’s hand which is stroking the small animal adoringly. He carefully picks it up and holds it against his chest when the elevator indicates his arrival on the seventh floor and carries the kitten with him towards Xingjie’s office. He is wondering why it was wandering around all alone besides the obvious question of why Chengcheng would take the kitten with him to the company. Justin coos at the white ball of fluff as it is snuggling comfortably against his chest and purrs contently. It’s been awhile since he has seen and played with it and because he is still not talking to Chengcheng he couldn’t ask him to let him meet his pet.

Justin knocks twice at the door, waiting for Xingjie to tell him to enter before he opens the door and walks inside the office. Zhu Xingjie is sitting on the couch on the right side of the room with a guitar in his hands and in the midst of what seems like a new song. Various kinds of instruments but also props for magic tricks lay around his office showing how multi-talented the producer is. Xingjie looks up and is greeted by the sight of Justin cuddling against the white kitten walking towards him and settling down on the couch next to his.

“Huang Minghao, who allowed you to take your pet with you? And since when do you have a pet?”, the elder exclaims in bewilderment. Justin shushes him to not scare the small animal in his arms before he looks up and grins back at him. “The cat is Chengcheng’s. I met it on my way up to your office. And I told you to call me Justin!”, he explains and holds up the kitten to let Xingjie have a closer look.

“Isn’t it cute?”, Justin asks and the cat purrs like it is also asking the same question. The elder raises an eyebrow skeptically but nods anyway. “I guess… but did you just say Chengcheng? As in Fan Chengcheng? I thought you two aren’t talking.”

Justin shrugs nonchalantly, “we are not talking.”, he answers to which Xingjie sighs and shakes his head, hope of finally seeing the two kids make up quickly evaporating. “Still, shouldn’t that kitten be in a cage or bag or something? I mean it’s probably not supposed to run around the company on its own.” Justin nods in agreement, also wondering about the same thing. He couldn’t believe how careless Chengcheng is to leave the kitten unattended. It could have met various dangers and get hurt if it didn’t meet him. He shakes his head in disappointment. His focus stays on the white kitten the whole time so he doesn’t notice Xingjie taking out his phone to send a message to someone.

It doesn’t take long before a disheveled looking Chengcheng runs inside his office, panting for air before sighing in relief upon the sight of the kitten being safe and sound in the arms of Justin. He slumps against the wall and towards the ground, losing all the strength that kept him on his legs while running around the building to search for his pet.

Justin finally looks up from the kitten and towards the newly arrived visitor, a frown appearing on his face. He turns to Xingjie who is grinning satisfyingly at the music sheet lying in front of him and sends him a glare for calling Chengcheng, the grin giving him enough to confirm his suspicion.

Chengcheng slowly regains his strength and gets up from the floor, walking over to where the other two are sitting. “Thank god, I thought it left the building”, he exclaims and holds out his hands, waiting for Justin to hand him the kitten but Justin just ignores his outstretched hands and continue to dote on the animal. Chengcheng crouches down next to where Justin is sitting and coos at the kitten trying to get its attention. “Tinbao, let’s go home.” The cat opens his eyes and looks at Chengcheng before it closes them again to snuggle deeper against Justin. Xingjie who has observed the scene in front of him let’s out a chuckle at Chengcheng’s failed attempt.

“No wonder it ran off.”, he remarks amused. “You named him Tinbao? As in a part of Minghao’s English name and …”, Chengcheng quickly puts a hand on the elder’s mouth to shut him up. Justin looks at them confused, his mind with an IQ above average goes throughall the possible matches but couldn’t decide which one of them could be the correct answer.

How is he supposed to know that Chengcheng named the kitten by adding the Bao from the word treasure to the second syllable from Justin’s English name.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave comments ~


	20. Chapter 20

He should have expected to be thrown out of Xingjie’s office the moment he jumped on him to shut him up. The producer is known for the fact that he is doting on them the most but also for having a short temper. Chengcheng sighs and looks to his left side to be met with Justin’s ice cold and accusing eyes staring back at him with a still content looking Tinbao snuggled up in his arms. He watches Justin turning away from him and knocking on the door to Xingjie’s office. “Huba-ge? Please let me in again, I didn’t do anything wrong.”, Justin says and waits for the elder’s reply. The door gets slightly opened from the inside of the room again and Zhu Xingjie is looking at them through the small gap, his eyes wander back and forth between them. “You,”, he looks at Justin, “just called me Huba, and you”, he says as he turns his gaze to Chengcheng, “dared to shut me up?!”. He takes a deep breath and lets out an audible groan. “Please, just make up!”, he adds and closes the door with a slam again.

Justin winces slightly at the loud bang and immediately tries to calm the startled cat in his arms down the best he can. Tinbao jumps off his arms and looks around for a hideout but doesn’t find anything so it runs towards the end of the hallway in search for another place. “Not again”, he hears Chengcheng mutter behind him as they follow the kitten, trying to catch up with Tinbao. They turn around the corner and almost bump into Zhou Rui who has picked Tinbao up and is looking at the small animal skeptically. Zhou Rui raises an eyebrow at them when he spots the two of them, confused as to why Justin and Chengcheng are walking around the hallways together and asking himself whether he is missing out on any update from Justin or Chengcheng and the both of them made up without his knowledge. “Is this your cat?”, he asks and raises the cat in his arms. “It’s my cat.”, Chengcheng says and goes over taking Tinbao out of the elder’s hands and into his arms. Zhou Rui watches Chengcheng’s struggle with Tinbao as the small kitten wiggles and tries to get out of his hold to jump towards Justin who is surprised but manages to catch the kitten in time. “Are you sure it’s your cat? It seems to like Minghao more than you.”, he points out and walks closer to Justin and Tinbao to pet the kitten in the younger’s arms. Justin leans down and kisses the white ball of fluff on its head happy about being favored by the kitten over its owner. “It’s because Tinbao loves me more than him. Am I right?”, he asks to which Tinbao looks up and purrs in agreement.

Zhou Rui looks from Justin to Chengcheng who is strangely avoiding his gaze and is scratching his head nervously. He is still confused about what is going on, the last time he saw them both in such a close proximity they were avoiding each other and tried to leave the room as soon as possible. “So, did you two make up or does any of you mind telling me what’s going on.”, it takes him a few more minutes before he decides to openly ask them. The two younger boys turn their attention towards Zhou Rui who is patiently waiting with crossed arms for any of them two answer his question but to his distress none of them replies.

Getting annoyed by the lack of reaction from the two, Zhou Rui rubs his temples and mutters about how he is already too old for this before he puts on a serious look. “Huang Minghao, you either speak up now or you can forget about tonight’s dinner.”, he gives them an ultimatum and finally gets a reaction from the younger who looks at him with panic written on his face. 

Justin curses in his mind as his match making plans are about to be destroyed but he is still too stubborn to speak up, besides he doesn’t know what he is supposed to answer him anyway. His plan was to spend some time at Xingjie’s office until it’s time to go to the restaurant and ditch them in hope for them to finally get together but the day took an unexpected turn when he found Tinbao wandering around the building on her own. He is still contemplating on how to answer Zhou Rui when Chengcheng speaks up. “Tinbao ran away when I took her out of her bag earlier and I’ve been looking for her all over IP Corp., Justin found Tinbao on his way to Xingjie-ge who then texted me. We kind of got kicked out of his office and Tinbao ran away again because she got scared and now we’re here.”, he says with a nonchalant shrug while Zhou Rui listens to his explanation attentively. 

“Why am I not even surprised to hear that Xingjie kicked you two out?”, he chuckles slightly before putting his serious look on again. “Still doesn’t explain why you took the cat with you to the company.”, he points out and starts reprimanding him about how you shouldn’t take your pet to your work place. Justin who is standing behind him with Tinbao in his arms starts to imitate Zhou Rui’s nagging moves and even though Chengcheng tries to hold back his laugh with all his might a chuckle still escapes which makes the elder more irritated. “I give up!”, he sighs dramatically and turns to Justin who quickly looks down at Tinbao acting like he’s not been clowning him the whole time the elder was scolding Chengcheng.

“Don’t act so innocent I know what you were doing behind my back. God, I want you two to make up but then I’m reminded with what we would have to deal with.”, Zhou Rui says and rubs his temples again. The two younger boys laugh hearing Zhou Rui’s words but quickly stop when their eyes meet and turn away again. Once the eldest of them has get his composure back he tells them to follow him to Xingjie’s office to drop off some documents and since Tinbao still doesn’t let Chengcheng pick her up to go home, always pushing his hands away with her paws and even going as far as snarling at her owner, he has no other choice but to comply. 

The two boys wait in the hallway in front of the office while Zhou Rui disappears inside to discuss some matters with the producer but Justin thinks that it’s just his excuse to be alone with the other so he happily does what he got told to do. He sits down on the floor and leans against the wall, putting Tinbao on his crossed legs and plays with her.

Chengcheng stands a few meters away from them and observes the two when his phone starts ringing. He quickly takes it out of his pants’ pocket and checks the call. Seeing as it is his manager he answers the call immediately with the thought that the other has been waiting for him to find his pet in mind. He updates his manager about the situation and promises to be ready to leave within the next half an hour, continuously apologizing for the delay he has caused. The call got Justin’s attention and he’s been watching the elder talking on his phone while stroking Tinbao’s head. Hearing the conversation makes him slightly sad as he would have to bid goodbye to the kitten lying comfortably in his lap, not knowing when he will be able to see her the next time. It’s like she’s noticed his change of mood as she gets up on her two hind paws and looks at Justin before licking his face playfully making him giggle in return. Chengcheng who finished his call turns back to them, the sight makes him sigh silently as he would need to pick up Tinbao and leave. He hopes that the kitten will listen for once and let him carry her and put her into her bag he’s left inside the practice room a few floors down. Both Justin and Tinbao turn their heads with similar expressions towards him as he approaches them. He scratches his head slightly, not knowing how to talk to Justin as they are still in some kind of cold war where talking to the other equals acknowledging defeat and even though he wants to make up with the younger his pride doesn’t allow him to be the first to speak up as he knows Justin will never let this die down. He gets surprised when Justin suddenly gets up with Tinbao in his arms and holds her out for him to take while she is struggling and trying to return into Justin’s embrace. The younger’s eyes meet his own and they tell him to take her which he slowly complies to, still dazed, not expecting him to return the kitten he loves more than seemingly anything else right now this easily.

Justin pats the kitten’s head and tells her to be obedient and promises her to play with her longer next time, his words make her calm down slowly and Chengcheng is thankful for that. He sighs already expecting her to throw a tantrum once they are back home in his apartment and ignoring him until she’s hungry and asking for food. He knocks on the door of the office to tell Xingjie and Zhou Rui he’s leaving afraid of the two’s wrath that would befall him if he doesn’t. It takes a few seconds longer than it should take for one of them to open the door and Chengcheng eyes them, Zhou Rui who opened the door and Xingjie who is arranging the documents on his desk, skeptically with a raised eyebrow. 

“Just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving now, my manager has been waiting for me for some time.”, he tells them still suspicious of their behavior but doesn’t point out anything. Zhou Rui nods acknowledging while Xingjie looks up from his documents and turns his gaze to him. “I thought you would join us for dinner. It would have been nice, you and Minghao at one table after such a long time. And with Tinbao now”, he says with a knowing grin on his face which makes Chengcheng’s face flush in embarrassment. 

“Maybe next time?”, he shrugs and turns away trying to hide his flushed face just to meet Justin’s and the redness only deepens. He quickly walks away, taking the elevator down to the sixth floor where his manager is already waiting with Tinbao’s bag in the hallway. They put her inside before his manager gives him the bag and goes to get the car telling him to wait in the lobby until he’s back. Chengcheng watches her play with one of her toys inside her bag, a small smile appears on his face as the thought of how much she resembles Justin when he is focused on something goes through his mind. He chuckles slightly which catches the attention of Tinbao who looks at him with curiosity. She meows and turns her head towards the other side looking at the elevators, a paw landing on the bag’s wall pointing in their direction before she turns her gaze back to him and meows again.

“You want to go see Justin?”, he asks and gets another meow in return. “You already miss him?”, he sighs as he gets another meow from Tinbao. “I miss him too. At least you got to play with him. I don’t even know when we will ever make up.”

-

Xukun lies on his bed wide awake. He keeps turning around trying to find a comfortable position to fall asleep but has not been successful so far.

Xukun’s fingers move up and press against his lips for what feels like the millionth time after coming back to the hotel, a deep flush appears on his face whenever he thinks about his shared kiss with Ziyi at the beach. He has been replaying the scene in his mind, and he can still see Ziyi who is trying to catch his breath with his head resting against Xukun’s after they broke away from the kiss vividly right in front of his eyes and can’t help to think how hot and kissable he looked at that very moment.

He covers his face with both of his hands and buries his head underneath one of the pillows in embarrassment for thinking about the other like that. He doesn’t know why he acted the way he did but the whole mood with the starry night, the gentle sea breeze of the ocean and of course Wang Ziyi looking at him like he is his whole world make his heart flutter excitedly even now. Xukun turns his body facing the ceiling again putting one of his hands on his chest and feels his violently beating heart.

One thing is very clear to him, Wang Ziyi is not good for his health, he doesn’t even know how they got back to the hotel without him dying on the way from a heart attack. His heart has been beating uncontrollable the whole way back because Ziyi has been holding on to his hand and only when they arrived in front of his room did the elder release his hold. Xukun lifts up his left hand which Ziyi has been holding earlier and stares at it. A shy smile appears on his face as he remembers the warmth of Ziyi’s hand and the secure feeling the elder emitted. He can still feel the warmth which spread from his hand all across his body and got settled somewhere within his stomach making him feel all giddy and nervous.

Xukun is questioning the strange feelings that have been emerging, asking himself whether he is catching feelings for Ziyi even though he is still not over his crush on Zhengting. He groans as he turns around and buries his head underneath his pillows again willing the surfacing headache away. He decides to not think about this and focuses on falling asleep. Somewhere in between his thoughts of Ziyi’s brown eyes, his soft smile and the feeling of his kiss, Xukun falls into a deep sleep and probably dreams of tall elder male.

He gets woken up by his alarm at seven o’clock to get ready to leave for his shooting. A quick glance on his phone shows him that Ziyi is also already awake as he gets greeted by the daily good morning message the elder didn’t miss to send him every morning. Xukun lies in his bed for a few more seconds before he gets up and takes a quick shower, followed by his skincare routine before putting on a simple outfit, his cap which Ziyi luckily picked up for him after it fell on the ground at the beach and a pair of sunglasses. He walks out to the balcony of his hotel room and is enjoying the warm sunbeams that land on his face when a knock on the door gets his attention. Checking the time with his phone he quickly puts on his shoes and grabs his headphones before walking over and opens the door. His manager is standing on the other side, in one hand holding a bag with some breakfast for him like he has requested after waking up. He thanks him and they both go down to the lobby where the rest of the crew is already waiting for them. They leave in two vans, heading to a studio the label he is endorsing the product for has rented for them to shoot today’s commercial shoot. Xukun eats his breakfast on their way to the studio while listening to some music on his phone and browsing through his social media accounts. He is scrolling through his Instagram account when he comes across the suggestions the app sometimes shows in between the posts of the people he is following. One of the accounts that gets suggested to him is called ‘boogie1e’ and the name in the bio catches his attention as it shows Ziyi’s name but Xukun can’t tell whether it’s Ziyi or someone with the same name because the profile picture doesn’t show the user but some photo with black and white flowers on it. His curiosity gets the best of him and he clicks on the profile to open it. The nine latest photos appear and they all show Ziyi posing in front of the camera. A glance on the number of followers confirm his suspicion that it indeed has to be Ziyi’s own account. Xukun notices how his whole feed is kept in black and white just like his apartment as he scrolls through the posts. He stops at one of the older videos Ziyi has posted and clicks on it. The video starts playing, showing Ziyi doing some bboy dance moves which reminds him that he has heard someone once tell him about Ziyi being quite the good dancer besides his main work at the office and the side modeling jobs he sometimes accepts. He wonders just how much Ziyi can do, it seems like the list of his talents keep on growing and Xukun learns something new about him every day. Xukun contemplates on whether to follow him or not but decides against it in the end as he would appear to be too much of a stalker if he all of a sudden follows him now without asking him first even though he found his account by coincidence.

He puts his phone away once they arrive at the studio and concentrates on his work, listening to instructions and doing his best so that the shooting will turn out well. The time flies by fast when you do something you love and they find themselves wrapping up after the last frame has been filmed. He goes around and thanks every crew member and especially the director who guided him through the whole shooting today. Xukun gets changed back into his outfit from this morning and is surprised to see Ziyi standing inside the studio talking to the director when he returns. The elder’s face light up with a smile upon seeing Xukun and waves at him, before excusing himself and ending his conversation with the director, promising to meet up with him another time for dinner. He walks over to Xukun who still is too surprised to find Ziyi in front of him to utter any words.

“I came over after my meeting finished early today. Hope you don’t mind me taking some shots of you, the director and the labels are fine with it too.”, Ziyi tells him as he holds up his other hand which is holding his camera. He chuckles when he doesn’t get any answer from the younger. “I promise, they are better than the shots I took last night.”, he adds and winks playfully while showing Xukun the photos he took on his camera. The younger wonders how he didn’t notice him when he even looked into the camera on some shots but then he remembers feeling a presence that kept him turning towards the direction from where Ziyi took the photos but he didn’t question it during the shoot and refocused every time his gaze seems to wander off. He admits he looks good on the photos Ziyi took, he likes how the elder focused on bringing out his best sides, none of them have him posing in any awkward angle even though he took them without his knowledge and with his focus on the camera of the director.

“I like them.”, Xukun says turning his gaze towards Ziyi and smiles which gains him an even wider smile from the taller. They stand there and look into each other’s eyes with wide smiles until his manager interrupts them with a cough to get their attention.

“We can leave now if you two would get into the van that’s been waiting outside”. Ziyi and Xukun both shyly turn away from each other which makes Xukun’s manager laugh out loudly before he pats the younger on the back and tells them that he will be going to the van first.  Ziyi turns back to Xukun once the younger’s manager is out of their sight. “I think we should leave too. Let’s go Kunkun.”, he says and takes the younger’s hand into his free hand, intertwining them and guides them out of the studio. Xukun stares at their intertwined hands and feels his heart starts to beat faster. He swallows und fans himself with his other hand to cool down the uprising heat, hoping that Ziyi won’t notice his hands are getting sweaty from being nervous. They arrive in front of the van and Ziyi let’s go of his hand to let him get into it first before joining him on the seat next to him. The driver closes the door and returns to the driver’s seat, letting Xukun’s manager make a last check before they drive off.

Xukun leans his head against the window with closed eyes, his mind spaces out, finally being able to have some time to relax after the long shooting. He feels a hand moving away some hair strands from his face before it gently moves his head away from the window to rest on a broad shoulder. The younger unconsciously nuzzles against his new pillow and wraps his arms around it, the pleasant smell coming from Ziyi lulls him into a deeper slumber.

Ziyi has to suppress his chuckle at the adorable sight and he’s reminded of how much of a hugger Xukun can be when he’s asleep. He watches the younger sleep and wraps his left arm around him, glad that Xukun can sleep at ease in his arms like this. Ziyi catches Xukun’s manager when he tried to take a photo of the cute sight with his phone. They talk with quiet voices to not wake the blond boy up and his manager tells him that he doesn’t see him fall asleep this easily with someone else around. To Ziyi it is some kind of evidence that they have gotten close enough for the younger to feel comfortable in his presence and his manager’s words only encourages him to plant a soft kiss on the blond head not minding the curious and watching eyes of the male sitting on the passenger seat.

It doesn’t take them long until they arrive at the restaurant the crew booked for dinner. The driver has parked the van and already got off to check some matters with Xukun’s manager leaving Ziyi and Xukun inside the car for Xukun to slowly wake up from his sleep.

Ziyi calls out Xukun’s name softly to wake him up. The younger opens his eyes sleepily and blinks a few times, mind still dazed from his sleep. “Did you sleep well?”, Ziyi asks and smiles endearingly at him while stroking his hair. Xukun’s eyes wander from nowhere in particular to Ziyi’s face and his mind slowly progresses the fact that he is leaning against the elder with his head on his shoulder while hugging the elder with both of his arms and with their faces barely centimeters away from each other. He gulps as his eyes land on Ziyi’s lips and the kiss from last night replays in his mind. Ziyi who has been watching him notices his lingering eyes and how Xukun’s face slowly reddens. His smile widens just a bit more before he leans his head towards Xukun and plants a chaste kiss on the other’s lips. Xukun shrieks surprised by the sudden kiss and for getting caught staring openly at Ziyi’s lips. He quickly pulls his arms away from around Ziyi and turns towards the other side to hide his now fully flushed face from the other.

“Kunkun, are you fully awake now? If not I can kiss you again.”, Ziyi leans in and whispers into his ear making his ears and face flush a deeper shade of red. Xukun didn’t expect Ziyi to have this teasing side in him which makes him even more shy now as he tries to calm his fast beating heart down at the same time. “I’m awake”, he quickly mutters to let the elder know that he doesn’t need to act on his words even though a part of him kind of wants Ziyi to kiss him again. He bites his lower lip and tries to push such thoughts away, remembering where they are right now and that it’s not appropriate when the whole crew is waiting for them. He takes a deep breath, somehow he succeeded to appear calmer now, face not as red as before and turns back to Ziyi but still avoids the elder’s gaze. “Let’s go.”

For the rest of the evening Xukun avoids looking in Ziyi’s direction whenever it’s possible and if he has to look at the elder he would focus his gaze on any point of his face but his lips because every time his eyes land on Ziyi’s soft lips the urge to kiss them arises and Xukun doesn’t know how long he can hold himself back before he gives in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, it took me almost two weeks to update >.<  
> but I'm back with a slightly longer chapter and I hope you guys like it  
> Feel free to leave comments again as they are always much appreciated by me. I will be answering the comments from last chapter after I've posted this update.


	21. Chapter 21

“Alright, let’s go over the second verse again.”, Zhangjing hears Xingjie tell him through the speakers inside the soundproofed booth of the recording studio. He nods and waits for the cue to sing his solo part. They started to record the duet without Nongnong who got delayed by a traffic jam on his way back from his early schedule. Working with the producer turns out to be more enjoyable then he expected even though Xingjie is more demanding and asking for more precision during the recording than the producers he’s worked with at his former company. Zhangjing looks up from his music sheet and turns his gaze towards Xingjie who is sitting on the other side of the window waiting for his reaction. He lets out a silent sigh of relief as the other nods in satisfaction and sends him a smile while giving him a thumb up. The younger pulls off the headphones from his head and puts them on the stand next to the microphone before he exits the booth and takes a seat next to the other. They listen to the recordings once more to make sure they got everything and that both of them are satisfied with them. 

“Now we only need Nongnong to arrive and then we can record the chorus and harmonization.”, Xingjie tells him as he saves the files. Zhangjing nods in agreement, taking sips from his bottle of water and checking the time on the clock shown at the corner of the producer’s computer. They talk about other possible projects and songs Xingjie would like to work on with him while waiting for the younger singer to arrive when they hear a knock on the door. An apologetic looking Nongnong greets them as they turn towards the entrance of the recording studio. 

“I’m so sorry.”, Nongnong bows and keeps apologizing while trying to catch his breath. “It’s not your fault you got stuck in a traffic jam. Sit down and get some rest, we will continue with the recording later.”, Xingjie reassures the younger and holds out a bottle of water. Nongnong thanks him and the bright smile that could challenge the sun returns on his face. He walks inside and takes the bottle from Xingjie, gulping down half of its content in a blink making the two others chuckle at his cuteness. Their gazes turn back towards the door as they hear another knock and see Jeffrey entering the studio sheepishly. “Nongnong said I could come in.”, Jeffrey says as a reply to Xingjie’s raised eyebrow. Nongnong quickly nods in agreement to what Jeffrey just said. “I met him on my way up in the elevator, he wanted to come look for you later but I told him he could join us now since I got us all delayed.”, the youngest explains with another apologetic smile of his. 

“You wanted to see me? Why?”, the producer turns his gaze back to Jeffrey who has now closed the door of the recording studio behind him and joined Nongnong on the couch. “It’s regarding the anniversary performance. I wanted to go through some ideas and Zhou Rui-ge told me to just go talk to you about it.”

“I thought this duet was supposed to be under nondisclosure until the right time”, Xingjie sighs and rubs his temples. “All he does is send people over to me and let me do all the work. I should get paid more for all of this.”, he mumbles with closed eyes thinking about a solution to this. Jeffrey smiles awkwardly and slowly gets up from the couch. “Maybe it’s better if I leave now?”, he asks uncertainly but receives a shake of the head from Xingjie. “No, it’s fine. He knows my schedule if he told you, you could come over now then it’s fine. Sit down. We will go through your questions and then proceed with the recording when Nongnong feels like he’s ready.”

Xingjie takes his notebook, leans back against his seat and notes down some points that Jeffrey tells him. Zhangjing listens to their discussion with interest. On one hand because he doesn’t have anything to do right now and on the other hand he would also like to know what the other artists from IP Corp. are planning for the anniversary festival. It doesn’t surprise him to hear that Jeffrey is planning to have a duet with Yanjun after their encounter at the café a few days ago. The thought about the silver haired boy makes his blood boil again and he grips the now empty water bottle tighter crushing it with his hand. The other three look at him with surprised expressions. “Is everything alright, Zhangjing-ge?”, Nongnong asks him with worry written all over his face which makes the elder calm down not wanting the younger to worry about him. He slowly releases his hold of the water bottle and takes a deep breath. “I just thought of someone...”, he tells him. “You thought of someone and crushed a bottle? I wouldn’t want to be that person then.”, Nongnong says with a finger pointing at the water bottle. 

Zhangjing looks at the crushed bottle lying on the table next to him before he turns his gaze back to the younger. “You would need to piss me off really bad to reach this stage. Don’t worry you’re a little sunshine I think you could never make me reach that level of rage.”, Zhangjing reassures him with a smile. 

Xingjie tells Nongnong to go inside the booth and warm up his vocal chords. He quickly finishes his discussion with Jeffrey, then he turns back to his work station and checks the program to make sure everything is ready. Zhangjing gets up and sits down next to Jeffrey to leave the two others to work and not disturb the producer. He looks at Jeffrey who sends him a smile which he returns. “I didn’t know you could sing. Aren’t you a model?”, he asks curious about why the other decided on a duet. 

“I am but I also sing. Well sometimes with my bros and since the fans have been asking for a collaboration between Yanjun and me after seeing one of my weibo stories, I thought why not use this opportunity.” Zhangjing nods, listening to his explanation. He can’t help but to think that Jeffrey seems to be quite the decent guy and asks himself why someone like him is friends with Lin Yanjun. They keep talking now and then in hushed voices while Nongnong records his solo parts. Xingjie seems satisfied with the results so far and sends Zhangjing inside to proceed with the harmonization parts between them. Zhangjing pats the younger on his back as an acknowledgment of the good work the younger did so far. Both of them warm up together, singing some parts of the song to get in sync and the harmonization right before Xingjie gives them the cue to start the recording. Their practices were not in vain as they sound perfect and it only takes a few takes before they proceed with the next parts. 

On the other side of the recording studio Xingjie is highly concentrated in his work while Jeffrey watches them from his seat on the couch. He gasps slightly in shock as he hears the first notes coming from Zhangjing and Nongnong. He’s seen and heard the youngest sing before but it’s the first time he hears Zhangjing’s singing since the other joined their company. In spite of that he’s sure he has heard that voice countless times before. Jeffrey wouldn’t believe it if he were not seeing it right in front of his eyes. It’s the same voice Yanjun forced him to listen to every time they hang out together or whenever his best friend’s favorite singer released a new song. He has to hold himself back from laughing out loud as he remembers what Yanjun told him about You Zhangjing. All the assumptions Yanjun has about the smaller male, being a newbie singer who probably doesn’t even know how to sing or hit any tone right turn out to be wrong. Most importantly and what amuses him the most is that his bro doesn’t know that he’s already met his idol when he’s been whining about it to Ziyi ever since it got announced that azorachin would join IP Corp. It also makes sense now why Xingjie was reluctant to let him stay at first, Zhangjing’s identity should be under disclosure until the official announcement so only a few people know about him. 

Jeffrey knows he shouldn’t tell Yanjun about what he just found out but his fingers seem to move on their own as he types in a message and sends it to the silver haired male. 

 

Yanjun is sitting inside his van sipping his iced coffee and going through his weibo mentions when he receives a message from Jeffrey. He opens the message and almost drops his phone. 

 

_14:28_

_Jeffrey_

_Guess who I just met... azorachin!!!!!_

 

Yanjun quickly types in his reply, wanting to know the exact details and why the elder was able to meet his idol when he still didn’t get the chance to.

 

_14:30_

_Where?! How?! I’ll be there! You cannot just drop this bomb and leave me hanging!_

 

He stares at his phone impatiently willing a new message to appear. Yanjun curses in his mind when it takes Jeffrey longer than usual to answer him and is about to call him when a new notification finally appears on his phone’s screen. 

 

_14:36_

_Jeffrey_

_He’s recording right now. He’s way better live!_

 

Yanjun groans, why is Jeffrey always so lucky. He looks outside the window to see whether his manager Qin Fen and his assistant are ready to leave. Maybe he can get more information from Jeffrey and join him wherever he is right now and get a glimpse of azorachin. He sends another message to his bro asking for details of his whereabouts before calling Qin Fen telling him to hurry up. Once he gets Jeffrey’s next reply telling him that he’s in one of the recording studios inside IP Corp. right now the silver haired male starts contemplating on possible ways to get back to the company since his manager seems to take forever. He’s about to open the door of the van to leave, bag already in his grip, when the driver’s door opens and Qin Fen gets inside looking at him with curious eyes. His assistant gets in from the other side and also turns towards him with curiosity.

“Were you about to leave the van? Where did you intend to go to?”, the elder asks him and notices how restless the younger looks. “We have to get back to the company as soon as possible! It’s a life and death situation!”, Yanjun answers him already fastening his seat belt again before turning back to the two in the front urging them to drive off. Qin Fen and Dinghao both also do the same and exchange a confused glance before the manager starts the van and head back to the company. “What’s so urgent? Did something happen but then again the office would have called me.”, Qin Fen asks and looks at him through the rear-view mirror. “Jeffrey texted me, he’s met azorachin and he’s recording a song right now!”, he exclaims as if it would explain the whole situation. Dinghao who’s still confused and doesn’t understand Yanjun’s words looks at Qin Fen waiting for an explanation. Qin Fen only rolls his eyes and gives the assistant a short explanation about Yanjun’s obsession for the other singer. Yanjun doesn’t care about Qin Fen’s words, already used to the judgmental look his manager always gives him whenever he wants to go out of their way or change their schedule because he has to be in time to watch the newest MV even though the singer doesn’t even appear in it. He mentally prepares himself to finally meet him after being his fan for as long as the other started his career as a singer. His heart pounds against his chest uncontrollable and his hands are damp with sweat from excitement.

Yanjun jumps out of the van once they arrive in front of the company building without a word to neither his manager nor his assistant and runs inside, taking the first available elevator up to the seventh floor. He is ready to run towards the recording studio once the door of the elevator opens at his desired floor but didn’t expect to instead run into a person and making the other fall backwards, landing on the ground. Yanjun groans and turns back looking at the person on the floor. He prays that this delay won’t take his chance of seeing azorachin away and squats down next to a furious looking Zhangjing who is rubbing his sore back.

“You alright?”, the taller asks and holds out a hand to help the other get up but gets his hand slapped away. “I don’t need your help.”, the smaller tells him as he gets up by himself. He turns towards the elevator and gets in but not without sending Yanjun another one of his glares. The silver haired male shudders and stares at the elevator as the doors close in front of him before he remembers why he is at the company and quickly turns around running down the hallway towards the recording studio Jeffrey mentioned in his text message earlier. Arriving in front of the studio, he takes out his phone and checks his hair with his phone’s camera before adjusting his outfit making sure he looks flawless to leave a good first impression. Yanjun takes a deep breath, then knocks on the door, waits a few seconds before he opens it and walks inside. He sends Jeffrey who is still sitting on the couch inside the studio a quick acknowledging greeting before turning towards the recording booth looking for azorachin. To his disappointment he only sees Nongnong inside the booth recording one of his solo parts while Xingjie sits in front of his work station monitoring the recording. No sight of the singer he so desperately wants to meet. Yanjun visibly deflates and lets his body fall onto the couch next to Jeffrey.

He lets out a long sigh before a thought comes into his mind making him turn his head towards his friend with suspicion written all over his face. “Were you only joking when you texted that you’ve met azorachin?”, he asks ready to tackle Jeffrey in case of a positive answer but to his dismay he only gets an innocent and slightly offended looking Jeffrey as a reply to his question. Jeffrey pats him on the shoulder to console him. “Don’t know whether it will help to lighten up your mood but you only missed him by a few minutes.”

Yanjun groans, it was just his luck. His best friends both know and have met his favorite idol while he who wishes to meet him the most always misses the chance to do so. He wants to ask Jeffrey for more details but get shushed by Xingjie the moment he opens his mouth.

 

Zhangjing is still rubbing his sore back when he exits the elevator on the third floor and walks towards one of the practice rooms. He is silently cursing Lin Yanjun for bumping into him and making him fall to the ground just when he thought he wouldn’t be running into the taller male for one day. Chaoze, Zhengting and another male he has not met yet are going through their dance routine when he enters the room and sits down on the opposite side facing the mirror. He watches them, claps excitedly and cheers for them as they finish with their ending pose. Chaoze walks over to Zhangjing and joins him on the floor while wiping off his sweat with the towel he has picked up on his way. His best friend turns towards him when he finally caught his breath with a questioning look on his face. “Why are you rubbing your back?”, he points out noticing how Zhangjing has been rubbing his back since he entered the room earlier. Zhangjing sighs and rubs his temples with his other hand. “I really don’t understand how you and Lin Yanjun could be cousins. Seriously there doesn’t seem to be a day where I go to work without running into him or in this case him bumping into me and making me fall. I would have hit his pretty face multiple times by now if I were not worried about getting sued.”, he huffs and hits the ground making Chaoze jump slightly in fright.

“I really don’t understand that too. I mean look at me I’m obviously more handsome than him.”, Chaoze tells him with all seriousness. They look at each other before they both start laughing. Both of them joke around and catch up about their work when the third dancer Zhangjing doesn’t recognizes walks over to them. “Sorry for interrupting your conversation but I need Chaoze-ge to help me. Zhengting-ge doesn’t want to stop practicing. He’s been doing his flip for over half an hour already.”, he tells them worriedly. The three of them turn their gazes towards Zhengting and watch the other do another flip. “You’re right, Zeren. We should stop him before he injures himself.”, Chaoze says and gets up. He and Zeren walk closer to the taller male who is still focused on practicing his dance moves.

“I think it’s enough for today, Zhengting you should take a break.”, Chaoze says but meets deaf ears as Zhengting continues with a determined face. “Please, you know you can easily strain your back muscles this way!”, and just as these words left Chaoze’s mouth Zhengting falls mid backflip hitting the floor with his back. Chaoze and Zeren curse as they rush over to help the other up. Zhangjing also gets up from where he was sitting and waits for instructions on how to help them. Zhengting winces as he sits up with the help of Zeren and Chaoze. They make sure nothing is broken before Chaoze scolds him for being this reckless as a professional dancer while Zeren looks at him with guilt and quietly apologizes to Zhengting.

“If it’s because of Yanchen and me…”, Zeren mumbles but gets hushed by Zhengting who turns his head towards the younger and gives him a strained smile. “Don’t be silly.”, he says and pats the younger on his shoulder before he slowly gets up from the floor. Zeren and Chaoze both slowly guide him over to a chair and let him rest on it. “How is your back? Or is it your waist?”, Chaoze asks and runs his hand over Zhengting’s back pressing against it to check for injuries. The dancer winces when the other’s hand presses against a swollen part of his back but tries to play it down which doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of them.

“Please get it checked before it worsens.”, Zeren tells him, still feeling guilty for the elder’s injury.

Zhengting sighs and nods silently in agreement as he knows that they are only worried about him. Besides the pain he feels whenever he moves makes himself worried about his ability to dance and perform anyway. He mentally prepares himself of being on the receiving end this time and to get scolded by Xukun once the other returns from his business trip.

-

The seatbelt sign lights up as the cabin crew go from row to row and make sure all passengers have their seatbelt buckled up and wake the few passengers that are still sleeping to straighten their seats for the landing. Xukun has been awake for last few hours of their plane ride and has been thinking about the events of the last few days he spent in Los Angeles. He turns his head towards the seat next to him where Ziyi is sitting and watches him turn off his laptop and putting it into his bag. His manager has handled their check in and switched his seat with Ziyi without the elder even having to ask for it this time. He sighs still not sure how to take all of it in. The whole crew, staff and his manager seem to have their own opinion about what is going on between Ziyi and him even when he himself cannot put a name to it, yet.

Xukun gets startled when he feels a hand on his forehead, he has been spacing out and didn’t notice Ziyi who tried to talk to him and is now looking at him with a worried expression. “Are you still tired?”, the elder asks which Xukun quickly denies and receives a relieved smile from Ziyi who then pats his head endearingly.

They land without any complications and Ziyi offers his manager to send Xukun home which his manager accepts without any remarks. Both of them have been quiet during the ride only exchanging a few words now and then. Xukun thinks that it is probably because Ziyi has noticed how he has been introverted for the whole duration of their plane ride back to China. He takes a glance at Ziyi, watching his features as he gets illuminated by the colorful lights from boards of the shops they pass by.

It’s like he gets caught in a trance because the moment he wakes up from it they have already arrived in front of his apartment complex. The ride home didn’t take as long as he expected as they didn’t get caught in any traffic jams on a Sunday evening. He has been staring at the elder the whole time which explains an amused looking Ziyi who is looking back at him with a wide smile plastered on his face. A blush emerges on his cheeks and he quickly turns his head away to hide it from the other. Xukun opens the car door and gets off wanting to take his luggage but Ziyi beats him to it. “I’ll help you take it upstairs.”, Ziyi offers but Xukun shakes his head and takes the luggage from him.

“It’s okay I can manage… besides Zhengting is probably waiting upstairs.”, he hesitantly tells him and watches the other’s expression turn to one he cannot read. Ziyi looks into his eyes for a few seconds before a small smile appears again. “Alright, then sleep well.”, the elder tells him and leans in planting a kiss on Xukun’s head.

Xukun watches him drive off before he goes inside the apartment complex and up to his apartment. He can already hear music blasting through the speakers inside his apartment from outside his door and isn’t surprise to find Zhengting inside, lying on the couch and skimming through a magazine. The other looks up from it when Xukun closes the door and pushes his luggage inside. “Welcome back, how was your trip?”, Zhengting asks and looks behind Xukun’s back as if trying to see whether there is someone else behind him. “I thought Ziyi would take you home.”, he adds as he sits up and puts the magazine on the coffee table next to the couch.  
Xukun walks over and let’s himself fall on the couch next to Zhengting, leaning his head back against the headrest and closes his eyes. “He did but I told him that you would be here so he already left. You wanted to talk, right?” Zhengting leans his head against Xukun’s shoulder and sighs. “I injured my waist during practice and Yanchen and I broke up.”, Zhengting tells him calmly like its nothing important. Xukun jolts up and looks at his best friend in shock. “What?!”

“Yeah, the doctor said I have to take a break for about four weeks for the injury to fully heal and I’m not allowed to participate in any practices. Chaoze and Zeren are taking over my workshops, they even forbid me to enter the third floor!”, he lists and sighs again. Xukun looks at him with a scandalized expression on his face before it changes to one of worry. “Zhu Zhengting how can you be so careless?!”, he stresses imitating the other’s scolding tone he always uses whenever Xukun or someone else has done something stupid.

“Wow, you almost sound like me.”, Zhengting remarks and chuckles but stops when he sees how serious Xukun looks. “It’s not that bad and will heal really quickly, the doctor only gave me such a long leave because he wanted to make sure that I rest enough. Didn’t you tell me to take a break? Now I have it”, he tries to lighten up the mood but the younger male doesn’t seem to take it well. Zhengting hugs him tightly and promises to take better care of himself from now on which makes Xukun sigh loudly and finally give in. He looks at Zhengting waiting for him to continue as there is still the other part of news he dropped earlier but it doesn’t seem like Zhengting will start talking about it if he doesn’t ask. As much as he didn’t like to talk about Zhengting’s relationship it still surprises him of how sudden the break up seems to be. He has only been away for a few days and the two of them were perfectly fine when he left so he doesn’t understand how they could have broken up all of a sudden.

“You and Yanchen…?”, he starts and observes the other’s expression waiting for Zhengting to get emotional and is ready to provide the tissues for his tears if the elder were to start crying but is surprised to find him shrugging nonchalantly. “We broke up. Yanchen and I, we were never serious. We kind of had that agreement that whenever one of us finds someone else where we think that person could be the one we can end the relationship immediately.”

Xukun listens to his explanation and raises an eyebrow. “And he did?”, he asks and Zhengting nods. “They are so cute! You would get cavity from watching their interaction. Zeren thinks that I injured myself because I was upset about the break up and kind of blames himself for it, that silly boy!”, Zhengting laughs recalling the other dancer’s repetitive apologies.

Xukun rubs his temples letting all the information sink in as Zhengting continues telling him about how Yanchen and Zeren met each other and when he found out about it. Somewhere in the midst of Zhengting’s narration he spaces off. His mind is confused about what it should do now. On one hand, there is Ziyi who has confessed to him and who has been the most considerate person Xukun has ever met but on the other hand Zhengting who he has had a crush on since the day they’ve met is suddenly single again. The chance to confess to his best friend is given to him once again and Xukun contemplates whether he should take it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter ~  
> Let me know what you think about it in the comments :D


	22. Chapter 22

The engine of the black Aston Martin Vanquish Ultimate can be heard through the streets of Shanghai as it takes a turn and stops next to a red Ferrari and a blue Lamborghini Aventador S. The black haired driver turns off the engine and takes his bag from the passenger’s seat before he exits his car and walks towards the entrance of the building. He passes the reception and greets a few familiar faces as he walks down the hallway towards one of the private rooms. The sound of a cue striking a ball can be heard as he opens the door to walk in and stops next to the billiards table to observe the ongoing eightball game between his two best friends. Both of them look tense as each only have one ball left before they can try to pocket the black ball with the number eight on it. It is now Jeffrey’s turn and he bends over and aims his cue towards the last solid ball of his group but misses to pocket it giving Yanjun the chance to take the lead with his next shot and win as he successfully pockets the eight ball with the following strike.

“YES!”, Yanjun exclaims happily and enjoys Jeffrey’s dejected expression as he turns around to greet Ziyi. “What was at stake?”, Ziyi asks them amused after he greeted them both and after they’ve moved over to the couch at the corner of the room. “Jeffrey has to take care of the tab for the next month.”, Yanjun answers him and takes a sip from his drink before he leans back against the couch smugly. Ziyi chuckles at his friends’ silly bets but he doesn’t complain as he also benefits from Yanjun’s win and clink the drink Jeffrey handed him earlier with Yanjun’s. “What would have happened if you would have won, Jeffrey?”, he then asks and turns towards the elder waiting for his reply. “He would be the one taking care of next month’s tab but most importantly Yanjun would’ve finally stopped bothering me about what azorachin looks like”, Jeffrey answers him and sighs as Yanjun who is leaning back relaxed against the couch suddenly sits up with interest hearing his idols name. Ziyi furrows his eyebrows not understanding why Yanjun would bother the other as Jeffrey shouldn’t know what their company’s newly signed singer looks like. 

Jeffrey notices his confused expression and decides to tell Ziyi about how he coincidentally met the elder singer and how Yanjun was so unfortunate to have missed him by a beat. “That’s why Yanjun has been spamming me with messages asking when he can finally meet him. I was kind of shocked to see how many he’s sent when I’ve turned my phone on after I’ve landed in Shanghai last night.”, Ziyi sighs and shakes his head as he thinks back to his phone which seemed to not stop vibrating as notifications appeared on the screen but is not really surprised about his friend’s actions anymore after knowing him for such long time.

“Since you’ve already mentioned azorachin. When can I finally meet him? If this goes on I’ll probably be the last one to be introduced to him!”, Yanjun complains while he moves closer to Ziyi trying to get an answer to his question and stares at the younger with a persistent gaze. The chief content officer rolls his eyes and reminds him about the nondisclosure part of the contract but Yanjun doesn’t accept the usual response Ziyi gives him as an answer and keeps whining to both Ziyi and Jeffrey. “I’ll do anything you ask for!”, he tells him with pleading eyes.Ziyi rolls his eyes annoyed but still amused at his friend’s antics and nonetheless takes the elder’s offer into consideration. “Anything?”, Ziyi asks and receives a confirming and eager nod from Yanjun. 

“Well, since Zhengting is signed off sick from work and Chaoze and Zeren are both busy with their own schedules and taking over Zhengting’s workshops now, we would need someone else to be something like a mentor or dance supervisor for one of our new artists. He’s been taking some classes from the company’s dance instructor and would only need some fine tuning and advice. Besides, he’s mainly a singer and usually will not have to dance but we just want to make sure he will be able to show something to the audience in case we send him to any shows. So, would you do that?”

Yanjun has been listening intently to Ziyi and furrows his eyebrows deep in thought. He is going to release his new album soon and has to finalize his preparations for the comeback himself but the task doesn’t sound too troublesome and his schedule is not packed with performances and shows, yet. “And I will be able to meet azorachin?”, he asks to make sure that Ziyi really intends to grant him his wish if he accepts the task. “Yes, you will be able to meet azorachin”, Ziyi nods as he replies. Yanjun’s face lights up with glee and he immediately agrees to do the task. “Just arrange something with Fen-Ge he knows my schedule the best.”

They catch up on things that Ziyi has been missing out on for the duration of the time he’s been away in Los Angeles. Yanjun then decides to challenge Ziyi on a round of eightball. They rearrange the balls and start playing when Jeffrey remembers they have not asked Ziyi about the most important part of his trip yet. “How is it going with Xukun?”, he casually asks and watches Ziyi’s serious and focused expression changes and instead a joyful smile appears on his face. “I guess that means it’s going well.”, Jeffrey remarks happy for his best friend. Ziyi strikes and successfully pockets a ball. He moves on to the next one unbothered by his friends’ peering eyes and positions his cue. “So is he officially your boyfriend now, don’t leave us clueless like this.”, Yanjun asks as he leans against the wall behind him and couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore. Ziyi’s expression changes once again as his eyebrows furrow while the question goes through his mind making his two friends anxious about his reply. He looks up from the blue ball with the number two on it to look at Yanjun. “We didn’t talk about it.”

Jeffrey and Yanjun exchange a quick glance before they shake their heads simultaneously. They walk over to him and each wrap an arm around Ziyi‘s shoulder. “I think you two should talk about it. It’s not a healthy relationship if you keep tiptoeing around the topic.”, Yanjun remarks. It only takes Ziyi a few seconds to make a decision before he nods and agrees with Yanjun. “You’re right. I should officially ask Kunkun to be my boyfriend.”, Ziyi tells them with determination and hopes that Xukun will agree. They continue with the game and since Ziyi’s mind is now preoccupied with the question on how he should ask Xukun out he loses the game to Yanjun. Luckily, he didn’t agree on betting on anything or Yanjun would have asked to meet azorachin and Ziyi would have had to comply to his request.

-

“What?! You hurt your waist?”, Justin exclaims in shock and gets up from his seat to check on Zhengting but the elder hits him telling him to sit back down and not cause a scene inside the restaurant. Justin complies with a pout and returns to his seat. “It’s not as severe as it may sound.”, Zhengting tells the younger but the other doesn’t seem to buy his explanation. “You wouldn’t be written sick for so long if it’s not so severe!”, Justin frowns as Zhengting ignores his worried remark and continues eating his lunch but still feels touched at how worried the younger is. Justin sighs and gives in, knowing that he will not win against Zhengting he turns his gaze back to his lunch and cuts another piece of his steak. “So, what are you planning to do now?”, he asks after gulping down the piece of meat he just cut.

“I’ll most likely go on vacation but first I will have to accompany my parents to go visit some old family friends since we’ve been invited to something but I’m not sure what it was. Ugh, but the most annoying aspect of it is that it’s somewhere on the countryside.”, Zhengting shudders in disgust just thinking about his upcoming trip.

“How long will you have to stay there? Probably not the whole duration of your sick leave.”, Justin points out and watches Zhengting sigh in relief being reminded that he will only have to stay about two weeks out of the fourand can plan another trip for the second half of his leave. “And who knows maybe you will like it there.”, Justin adds with a shrug making the elder of the two laugh at the younger’s hilarious but unlikely idea.

Zhengting finishes his main course, leans back against the seat, tilts his head slightly and observes Justin. “Enough about me, what about you and Chengcheng?”, he watches Justin while he chokes on the piece of meat he was about to gulp down by the mention of the other male’s name and hands him his glass of water. The younger drinkshalf of the cup and takes the clean napkin lying next to his plate to wipe away the tears that appeared at the corner of his eyes. “What do you mean?”, Justin finally asks after catching his breath as if nothing happened and continues eating his steak. Zhengting grins back at him and shakes his head amused at how the younger tries to act all mature and nonchalant. 

“Well a little birdie told me an interesting story which includes a cute kitten which I noticed is also on your phone’s lock screen.”, Zhengting points out and just then Justin’s phone’s screen lights up because of a new message and shows one of the white kitten’s photo set as the background photo. “It’s because she’s cute”, Justin replies and simply shrugs. He finishes his steak and puts the cutlery down. “She’s called Tinbao. Minghao you seriously don’t know why?”, Zhengting watches the younger shake his head confused about what he expects him to answer. “Chengcheng is the only one who calls you by your English name. The Tin in Tinbao is obviously taken from Justin.”, Zhengting explains to him and Justin nods in agreement as he also already figured out that much. “So?”, he asks. “And the Bao is the Bao from Baby!”, Zhengting continues and looks at Justin with expectant eyes, waiting for the younger to finally realize what it means. Justin nods and let the new information proceed in his mind before a smile appears on his face. 

“You mean she’s called Tinbao because it is the short form for ‘Justin’s baby’?’”, the younger asks and watches the elder fall back against his seat with a frown while rubbing his temples annoyed by Justin’s sudden stupidity. Where is the boy with the high IQ when you need him, he wonders as he observes Justin who is waiting for his confirmation.

“You could interpret it that way too, I guess.”, Zhengting gives up and decides to just let the him stay in the dark about the true meaning even though it is so obvious anyone that hears about Tinbao and knows about Justin’s English name would recognize it immediately. Well anyone besides Justin as it seems. He watches Justin’s joyful expression as he picks up his phone to show Zhengting all the photos he’s airdroped to his phone from Chengcheng’s and goes on and on about how adorable the kitten is when all of a sudden, the joyful expression turns into a visible pout. Zhengting raises his eyebrow at the younger’s change of mood. “Huang Minghao, what’s wrong?”, he asks with slight worry and hears the younger sighs out loud as he swipes to the next photo of Tinbao. “I miss her.”, Justin exclaims and stares at the photo. Zhengting takes a glance towards the screen and sees a photo of Tinbao with Chengcheng holding her in his lap while she’s trying to get away from his hold. He isn’t sure whether Justin is only referring to the white adorable kitten or also its distressed looking owner. 

“You can go look for her if you miss her that much. I don’t think Chengcheng would deny you a visit.”, Zhengting suggests but only receives a louder sigh from the other boy before he turns his head around to face the him. “But we are having a cold war! I haven’t talked to him since ... ugh... never mind!”, Justin exclaims frustrated but doesn’t finish his sentence leaving Zhengting confused. Justin crosses his arms in front of his chest and leans back against his seat with a frown.

Zhengting rubs his temples once again, he can feel the first indication of a headache appearing and asks himself why neither one of the two has told him about their fight or whatever it is that made them behave like this. He curses both of them in his mind for being too stubborn to make up when it’s so obvious that they still care so much about each other. At least he can see that Justin’s resolution of cutting off all ties with Chengcheng is slowly crumbling down and the old Huang Minghao, the childish but caring boy who starts missing his best friend even when the other is only taking a bathroom break is still somewhere underneath the façade he’s build in the last six months he’s been away.

-

Xukun has been staring at his phone for quite a while after he’s received Ziyi‘s text message. He reread it multiple times but hesitates with his reply because he is still contemplating on how to respond. The blond male lets his stylist finish working on his hair and setting everything with a touch of hairspray before he puts his phone away to get back to the shooting and decides to postpone his reply until after his work ended to have more time to think about how he should answer. He’s not seen the elder male since they came back from LA and since finding out about Zhengting’s new relationship status. Even though Ziyi has been asking him out for lunch and dinner several times the last few days Xukun always found an excuse to decline the other’s invitation because he is not sure on how to face him after their trip and when he’s feeling conflicted about his feelings right now so he decides that the best option for him is to avoid Ziyi as much as possible.

Xukun still has not replied to Ziyi’s message when he leaves the location after the shooting ended and is taken by surprise to run right into the elder who is leaning against his black car waiting for him. Ziyi’s face lights up once he spots Xukun and walks over to him to wrap his arms around the younger to give him a gentle but tight hug. Xukun unknowingly leans his body against the taller male and lets the other’s warmth wrap around him. He breathes in Ziyi’s strangely familiar smell, closes his eyes and visibly relaxes against him. They stay like this for a few minutes not minding the peering eyes of the staff who are going in and out of the venue to load the equipment into the vans parked in front building.

Ziyi then slowly releases his hold to look down at Xukun and tries to rearrange the other’s blond hair back to its original look after he messed them up when he was stroking them a few seconds ago while hugging the younger. Meanwhile Xukun looks up at him with questioning eyes but still let’s Ziyi work on his hair even though he’s sure his hair style is probably not savable. He observes the other’s determined expression and has to suppress a light chuckle which Ziyi catches anyway and as a result sends him a playful wink. Satisfied with his attempt Ziyi turns around to look for Xukun’s manager to tell him that he will be kidnapping his artist only to receive a knowing nod of approval from the man without even having to verbally state his intention. He takes Xukun’s bag out of his hand and leads them back to his car, opening the door for the younger and makes sure he has securely put on his seatbelt before he drives off. 

“Sorry if me appearing without any heads-up may have startled you. I’ve checked your schedule and tonight is the only available slot on it.”, Ziyi tells him with an apologetic look on his face while Xukun should be the one to feel guilty for finding excuses to not having to meet up with him. “I hope you don’t have any other plans tonight.”, Ziyi adds and turns his head to look at him waiting for an answer as they stop at an intersection. Xukun shakes his head, negating his question to which Ziyi lets out a sigh of relief. He didn’t notice he was holding his breath until then and is glad that he can finally spend some time with the younger. They arrive at the destination after some time and Xukun looks out of the window as Ziyi parks his car.

They get off the car and the place oddly looks familiar to Xukun but he cannot pinpoint why he has any recognition of the place. He silently follows Ziyi as the elder leads the way. They walk through a gate and Xukun almost trips and falls to the ground because of the darkness that surrounds them but luckily Ziyi caught him in time and takes the younger’s hand into his own to make sure that he won’t be stumbling on anything else on their way again. “Where are we?”, Xukun asks when they stop next to a pool. His eyes have slowly adjusted to the darkness and are able to identify their surroundings. They are standing in the backyard of what he thinks is a mansion somewhere outside of Shanghai. The rustling of the leaves can be heard as a gentle breeze brush against them. He turns back to Ziyi to find him observing him and before he can speak up to ask Ziyi what they are supposed to do there countless of lights around them turn on and illuminate the night sky like thousands of stars. He widens his eyes and looks around, taking in the beautiful scenery. 

Xukun stands there with his mouth agape and is absolutely amazed about how the gloomy and if he is being honest a little bit scary looking backyard now looks stunning being engulfed in the warm light which makes you feel being welcomed and at ease. He doesn’t notice since when Ziyi has been back hugging him until the elder whispers against his ear asking him about how he likes it which makes his skin crawl and his body slightly tenses up because of the sudden close proximity. “It’s beautiful.”, Xukun replies and glances to his right side where Ziyi is leaning his head on his shoulder. 

“This is where I’ve first seen you.”, Ziyi smiles as the memories of their first meeting flash through his mind. “You were shooting a commercial over there and probably don’t even remember me being on set but I just couldn’t get you out of my mind.”, he continues and chuckles slightly at his words before he turns Xukun around to face him and cups his face between his hands. Ziyi caresses the younger’s face and locks his gaze with Xukun’s. “I’ve already confessed to you once. I really like you a lot Kunkun and I hope you will agree to be my boyfriend.”, Ziyi finally asks. He can feel his heartbeat increase and his hands start to sweat and shake out of nervousness as he looks at Xukun waiting for his reply. Contrary to what he expected to find he can only see confusion and uncertainty inside the other’s eyes. His heart clenches at the sight in front of him and the hope he nourished slowly disappears and is replaced by a pinch of disappointment and sadness. He slowly pulls his hands away from Xukun’s face and takes a step away from the younger giving them both some space. The silence that follows makes him feel suffocated and Ziyi wishes he could take his words back to at least not have this awkwardness between them. It breaks his heart to see the apologetic expression in Xukun’s eyes as their eyes meet again and he swallows and looks away to not let the younger notice his sadness.

Xukun takes a small step closer to the taller male. He’s never seen him this dejected before and the sight makes him want to agree just to see him smile but he cannot find the courage to do it. Especially not when he is unsure of his own feelings. He swallows and takes a deep breath but still does not dare to look directly at Ziyi as he prepares himself to reject him.

“I cannot give you an answer right now. I’m not sure what I feel for you. Ziyi you’re a wonderful person and I really appreciate your feelings for me but… Zhengting he…”, Xukun doesn’t finish his sentence leaving his answer open as he guesses that Ziyi will already understand what he means but he still takes a glimpse of Ziyi wanting to see his reaction. The elder has closed his eyes and a bittersweet smile adorns his usually cheerful face. Xukun bites his lower lip holding himself back from clutching his aching heart and instead raises his hand wanting to reach out to make sure that Ziyi is alright but the other moves away from the location he was standing at before Xukun’s fingers can even brush his arm and moves over to the well-laid table the younger has not noticed before. The elder of the two stops just behind one of the two chairs and turns back to him as if waiting for him to come over and take a seat. His body moves unconsciously towards Ziyi and he sits down on the chair. He observes the elder as he sits down on the chair on the opposite side of him and places the napkin cleanly on his lap before he turns his gaze back to Xukun with a gentle smile he usually has whenever Xukun is close by but the younger can see that it is not as bright as what he is used to receive.

“I’ll send you home after we’ve eaten.”, Ziyi tells him, picks up his fork and suggests Xukun to do the same. They start to eat and while Ziyi is focused on his dish Xukun finds himself taking glimpses of Ziyi trying to decipher his mood but is not successful as he still doesn’t know what the elder is thinking about. The silence between them makes him feel a never before felt awkwardness and uncomfortableness making his stomach churn and losing his appetite. He puts down his cutlery which doesn’t go unnoticed by Ziyi who looks up from his dish and stares at the almost untouched food in front of Xukun. He sighs and also puts down his cutlery, takes his napkin and wipes his mouth before he gets up from his seat and walks over to the younger. Xukun raises from his seat as Ziyi stands next to him not sure why the elder has not finished eating but doesn’t utter his question. He silently follows him again as the other walks back through the gate and towards his car leaving behind the with thousands of lightbulbs illuminated backyard and the almost untouched food on the table.

The ride back to his apartment is just as uncomfortable as their dinner before and all his attempts to make small talk goes to vain as Ziyi is deep in thought and doesn’t seem to notice them or so he hopes because Xukun really doesn’t like the thought the possibility of Ziyi ignoring him. They arrive faster than what Xukun expected not sure how time can pass by so fast when all he did was stare at the other during the ride. He is reluctant to leave without having talked about the elephant in the room but still gets off the car when Ziyi opens the door for him and let’s Ziyi see him to the entrance of his apartment’s building. They stop in front of the entrance and Xukun turns towards Ziyi while fiddling with his shirt nervously. On one hand, he really wants to address the situation to be sure where they stand but on the other hand he would rather quickly leave and hide in his apartment to avoid having to confront the elder. He looks at Ziyi and observes him as he steps closer to him with a small smile and brushes through Xukun’s blond hair with his hand.

“I have thought about your reply on our way back and I could see the confusion in your eyes, which is totally fine,” Ziyi says reassuringly as he looks down at Xukun and locking their gazes, “maybe it was just my wishful thinking. There were moments where I thought you’re also feeling the same but I guess I was wrong.”, he pauses to caress Xukun’s face and plants a peck on his forehead before he continues, “I decided to take some space to give you and me time to think about this because as much as I like you, I don’t want to get to invested in someone who is not sure about what they want.”, he finishes and leans in to lay a gentle kiss on Xukun’s lips before he pulls away.

“Goodbye.”, he whispers with sad eyes as he turns around and walks towards his car leaving Xukun standing alone in front of his entrance with tearful looking eyes.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so it's been like 3 weeks since I've last updated >.< I've been really busy with work, always coming home late and when I arrived at home I was tired to death. But I finally kind of got used to wake up early and found the time to write this chapter.
> 
> Comments are much appreciated as always so feel free to leave some to let me know what you think about the new update :D


	23. Chapter 23

You Zhangjing stands in front of the mirror inside one of the practice rooms in his workout clothes consisting of a T-shirt covered by a slightly oversized hoodie and some track pants and warms up as he waits for his new dance instructor to arrive. He checks the time on his phone and wonders when the other will finally arrive since it’s already been half an hour past their scheduled time. He sits down on the floor, leans his back against the mirror facing the entrance and types a message to Chaoze with his phone complaining about the delay of the mysterious instructor when the door gets opened making him jump frightened by the sudden noise and almost drop his phone. Zhangjing looks up and turns his gaze towards the entrance to catch Lin Yanjun standing opposite of him with a cup of coffee in his hand staring back at him before the silver haired male turns around and walks away to come back to the practice room a few moments later with a slightly confused expression on his face. He observes the taller as he turns his head from side to side as if he is searching for someone before his eyes land on Zhangjing who is still sitting on the floor again. 

“Are you the trainee Ziyi was talking about?”, Yanjun asks still looking confused about the whole situation. “You’re my new dance instructor?”, Zhangjing exclaims with a slightly too disturbed sounding voice. He lets out a long sigh and curses his luck asking the dear Lord why he’s always so unlucky to run into Lin Yanjun. He’s still busy shouting curses in his mind that he doesn’t notice the other male has walked over and crouched down next to him until he feels a poke on his cheek. He turns his head towards the other male and sends him a glare which makes Yanjun stop grinning dumbly at him, turns his face away and clears his throat. 

“Let’s start!”, Yanjun tells him as he gets up and walks over to the music station inside the practice room to connect his phone and scrolls through his music library to pick an appropriate song. He clicks on the play button and the song starts playing. Yanjun then turns back towards Zhangjing expecting him start but the elder male only stares back at him. Yanjun rolls his eyes and gestures Zhangjing to start, muttering that he doesn’t have all day for this which doesn’t go unnoticed by the other who sends him another deathly glare but doesn’t comment on how he wasn’t the one who arrived late to their training session. 

Zhangjing holds back his flaring temper and begins with some easy dance moves while Yanjun observes him and takes some notes on what the smaller of the two should change or improve. Contrary to his expectations Zhangjing doesn’t seem to be too bad at dancing but if someone were to ask Yanjun he would never admit it. He stops the music making Zhangjing stop in the midst of a dance step and walks over to him. 

“Even if you’re not a dancer you still have to show some expression while dancing. The viewer wants to see some emotion and not someone who’s just moving around on stage like he’s been forced to do it.”, Yanjun tells him and starts explaining how he should do it. Zhangjing watches him with slight disbelief, he expected Lin Yanjun to make fun of him when he stopped the music and not to watch him teach him about how to entertain the audience with a serious expression on his face.  

“Ok now you do it.”, he hears Yanjun say and blinks, waking up from his startled state. He tries to mimic the other’s moves but doesn’t success to portray the requested emotions because he hasn’t been listening to Yanjun’s instructions at all and now he couldn’t even blame Yanjun for looking at him with a sceptic and judging expression. The silver haired male sighs, comes closer to him and repeats the moves telling Zhangjing to observe him closely. That he does and gets slightly carried away as his mind doesn’t seem to stop thinking about how handsome his instructor looks all focused on teaching him before he catches himself and recalls all the times Yanjun has made him mad to regain his composure. He wills himself to focus on the task at hand and do his best to get over with this. Zhangjing repeats the dance moves like Yanjun has instructed and receives a satisfied nod from the taller. Yanjun gives him a few more instructions and tells him to practice on them while he observes and shouts out pointers. Zhangjing is out of breath when they finally take a break and takes off his hoodie because it’s getting way too warm in it. He slides down the floor and drinks half of his bottle of water while Yanjun moves over to the music station to check his phone for notifications. Zhangjing chokes slightly on his water when the current song ends and the next starts playing. He recognizes his own voice over the speakers making him blush and turn towards the other male who’s standing on the other side of the room happily humming along to the song. 

“You listen to azorachin’s songs?”, Zhangjing finds himself asking. Yanjun looks up from his phone and nods before a wide smile appears on his face as he sees an opportunity to talk about his favorite singer. “He’s my favorite singer!”, he exclaims happily. “Do you like him too?”, Yanjun asks Zhangjing and the elder contemplates on what he should answer because well he is azorachin and he obviously doesn’t dislike himself. “Yeah, I do.”, he then answers but it sounds more like a question than an answer to himself. 

Yanjun puts his phone down and walks over to him joining Zhangjing on the floor. “Did you know that he has also joined IP Corp.? And it seems like almost everyone I know has already met him.”, Yanjun sighs disappointedly. 

Zhangjing raises an eyebrow not sure how he is supposed to react so he just stays silent and lets Yanjun rant about how Ziyi is the worst best friend you can have to not even give him an opportunity to meet azorachin even though he knows that the younger is bound by a contract to not disclose any information until the given time. Then he goes on about how Jeffrey was so lucky to be able to coincidentally meet the singer. 

To say that Zhangjing feels awkward sitting next to who he thinks is the most arrogant person he’s ever met fanboying over him would be an understatement. He stiffens and lets out a surprised yelp when Yanjun suddenly places an arm around his shoulder and sends him a beaming smile.

“You’re quiet the good listener, I’m glad I could talk to someone about this.”, Yanjun tells him and keeps smiling making his dimples pop out. Zhangjing’s heart jumps slightly at the sudden closeness and he shifts further away from the other after removing his arm and gets up. „I think we should continue.”, he says and waits with his back turned towards Yanjun for him to get up to change the music and doesn’t notice the silver haired man’s perplexed expression. 

Yanjun also gets up from sitting on the ground to switch to another song so that they can continue with the practice. While Zhangjing focuses on perfecting the dance moves with the instructions he gave him, Yanjun thinks about all the interactions he had with Zhangjing and comes to the conclusion that Zhangjing isn’t as bad as he thought he would be and that they could actually become good friends since the other is also listening to azorachin. He would then finally have someone to talk and share his love of azorachin’s music with and wouldn’t have to listen to Jeffrey’s complains anymore.

Yanjun nods satisfied with his reasoning and decides to grant Zhangjing the pleasure of being his new friend but doesn’t regard the shorter male’s thoughts whether he would also gladly accept to be his friend or not. The practice goes on until Yanjun’s assistant Lu Dinghao appears to pick him up for his next schedule. The artist stops the music and unplugs his phone from the music station before he walks over to his assistant and takes the new cup of coffee the other has bought for him and takes a sip. He watches Dinghao walk over and introduces himself to Zhangjing who is picking up his belongings and putting them in his bag. The with sweat drenched male looks at him perplexed before he laughs out loudly. He wipes off the tear at the corner of his eye that formed from laughing and decides to explain why he is laughing to Yanjun’s pitiful looking assistant. 

“You know ‘someone’ mistook me for you and made me do all kind of stupid things for him.”, Zhangjing tells him and sends a Yanjun a subtle glare which the taller doesn’t notice as such and just raises an eyebrow in return when he sees them both turning to look at him. Dinghao chuckles knowingly as he remembers having heard of the incident from Qin Fen. “I think I should apologize to you then since it’s partly my fault, too.”, Dinghao rubs his head apologetically but Zhangjing only shakes his head not blaming the younger for the things that Yanjun did. They keep talking until an annoyed looking Yanjun calls his assistant’s name to get his attention and reminding him of the time. Dinghao signals to the silver haired male that he just needs one more minute before he turns back to Zhangjing. “Glad to meet you and I hope we can be good friends. Let’s meet up some other time!”, he quickly says before he runs back to Yanjun and leaves with him. 

-

Zhengting who feel asleep during the car ride wakes up inside the car alone and without any sight of his parents. He straightens up, yawns and rubs his eyes before he looks out the window to check his surroundings. The last time he looked out the window Shanghai’s illuminated skyscrapers were still visible and the bustling sound of all varieties of cars as well as the people waking up to get to work or open their businesses could be heard. This time he is greeted by the sound of chirping birds and the beautiful scenery of the massive tea field. Zhengting wonders how long it’s been since they’ve stopped seemingly in the middle of the street and why his parents didn’t wake him up when he checks his phone for the time and realizes that he’s been sleeping over 3 hours. It is barely nine in the morning since they have set off early trying to avoid getting into any traffic jams on the way. He guesses that they’ve not stopped there that long by the time but still wonders where his parents are. With that in mind Zhengting opens the door and gets out of the car. He notices how his neck is stiff from sitting and sleeping inside the car and does some stretching but with carefulness to not further strain his already injured waist. Since he doesn’t see anyone around he contemplates whether it would be a great idea to just leave the car with their luggage unattended to go search for his missing parents or to stay there and wait for their return but then again, he doesn’t know how long they are going to take. So, he picks up his phone from inside the car, puts it inside his pants’ pocket and closes the door. He looks around again trying to see whether he can spot his parents or anyone else but doesn’t see anyone around. Turning towards the pathway leading up the mountain he takes a deep breath before he follows the path and ascends the mountain.

He turns from side to side taking in the scenery in front of him and lets the sunrays kiss his skin. It’s not exactly the kind of sunbathing he wished for but he will take what he can get until this trip is over and then he will be lying on a soft, sandy beach and enjoy the refreshing breeze of the ocean. Zhengting stops midway and takes some photos of the tea plantation as well as some selfies, saving them to post them on his social media accounts later. He goes further up the mountain but stops once more, exhausted from all the walking and regretting to not having warmed up his sore muscles first. Zhengting spots a pavilion not far from where he is and decides to go over there to rest and hopes to be able to find his parents easier from there as you can better overlook the place from the pavilion. 

He walks along the smaller paths between the tea trees and nearly gets scared to death when a figure suddenly appears seemingly out of nowhere. Zhengting lets out a loud yelp which probably everyone within the range of the mountain and the village at the foot of the mountain can hear. He only calms down when he realizes that it’s not a ghost or any wild animal but a person dressed in a white T-shirt with a mask covering half of his face and wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat on his head which hides the other half of his face. With a hand on his chest to calm his anxious heart, Zhengting glares at the taller male in front of him. 

“You almost scared me to death! Can you not appear like a normal human being?”, he exclaims animatedly but doesn’t receive any answer from the other. Zhengting shrugs not minding his quietness, instead he is glad to finally meet another person in this huge tea plantation even if it’s not who he is searching for but maybe the stranger can help him find them. “Do you work here?”, he asks after observing the taller male and noticing the basket to collect the tea leaves hanging around his waist. The taller nods which makes Zhengting beam at him with a wide smile. “Great! I kind of got abandoned by my parents and now I’m looking for them. Have you seen them?”, he asks and then starts explaining how they look like to the stranger he met not even 5 minutes ago. The dancer finishes his description and looks at the man with expectant and hopeful eyes making them glimmer and reflect the sunlight in a strangely endearing way. The man raises his arm and points towards the other end of the path. Zhengting’s eyes follow the direction which the stranger is pointing at and he indeed spots his parents with two other elder people standing at the end of the path close to the pavilion he was heading to. He turns back to the stranger and hugs him happy to finally have found his parents before shouting thank you to him and runs towards the group who have moved from where they stood and are now standing in the pavilion. 

Zhengting stops at the entrance, out of breath from running up the last steps of the mountain pathway. His mother goes over to him and scolds him about not being careful when he is still injured before checking to see whether he’s alright. “I didn’t expect you to get tired so easily when you’re doing all those difficult dance routines every day.”, his mother tells him with a judging look making her son pout. “You shouldn’t be wondering about this when you were the one who didn’t allow me to exercise the past week and been feeding me too well. I think I’ve gained weight, too.”, he whines and rubs his flat belly. His mother rolls her eyes and hits him playfully. “You should be glad I’m even feeding you! Besides you’re way too thin but let’s not talk about this now, you should show some respect and go greet our dear friends.”, she tells him before turning back to the other three persons standing further towards the inside of the pavilion. The woman within that group is chuckling amused by their interaction and gives him a tight hug when he walks over to greet them taking Zhengting by surprise. “You grew up so pretty.”, the woman says after she took a closer look at him from head to toe making him blush slightly out of embarrassment. Zhengting likes to flaunt his good looks to his friends but he is still not used to being told about it face to face. “Aww look how cute he is!”, she squeals and pinches his cheek excitedly but gets told to stop teasing the poor boy by her husband. 

“How did you even find us? This place is huge.”, Zhengting’s father finally speaks up after he stopped laughing at the cost of his son. “At first I was just wandering around but then I found that guy working between the tea trees and asked him whether he’s seen you around. I really admire you for looking into the bright future and also hiring handicapped persons.”, he answers his dad before turning towards his parents’ friends with admiring eyes.

They and his parents look at him questioningly, not understanding what he means by those words. “Handicapped person? Who are you talking about?”, the petite woman asks him. Zhengting tilts his head, now also confused. “The guy I asked for directions. He seems to be mute. At least he didn’t talk or utter any sound so I guess he has to be mute.”, Zhengting explains his observations when another person walks up the few steps and joins them inside the pavilion. They turn their attention to the newcomer and Zhengting’s face lights up seeing it’s the guy who helped him earlier taking the basket from around his waist off and places it down before he takes off his hat and the mask. “I think this should be enough tea leaves for your tea tasting.”, the taller says and picks up the water bottle from the ground in one of the corners to drink out of it. Zhengting stares at him, amazed by the taller’s handsome face that got covered up by the hat and mask earlier. “You can talk?!”, the dancer then exclaims with his mouth dropped in shock when it slowly sinks in that the other, contrary to what he believed, is not mute at all before he catches himself and turns around to hide his embarrassment. “Ehm... I guess?”, the other answers with a slightly amused grin on his face after he overheard Zhengting’s assumption earlier but Zhengting doesn’t see his reaction because he’s busy hiding his face with both of his hands covering his face.

The elders look at each other before they all start laughing amused by the whole situation. “Oh my god. You thought Wenjun is mute.”, Wenjun’s mother laughs and wipes a tear from the corner of her eyes. „See, I’ve always told you to be more talkative! Now even Zhengting thinks you’re mute.”, Wenjun’s mother takes the opportunity and lectures her son who only shrugs nonchalantly. “I didn’t reply verbally because he didn’t seem to stop talking any time soon.”, Wenjun tells them in his defense. They all hear a shriek coming from behind the elders and find Zhengting facing one of the pillars, still hiding his face, when they turn around to check from where that noise was coming from. Zhengting’s ears turn a brighter red as he processes what happened and from feeling their eyes on him and never has he wished to have the ability to make himself invisible and disappear from their sight as much as now. 

He couldn’t believe how he could embarrass himself so deeply, especially when the one he thought is mute turns out to be such a fine and handsome man and just maybe he developed a tiny crush on the other at first glance. Zhengting couldn’t wait for this trip to be over when it just started.  

-

Justin watches the passerby walk by the window of ‘Next station, happiness’ as he sips from the straw of his iced coffee with extra caramel syrup. He’s finished his home schooling early today and got the permission to visit the company to find everyone busy. Zhou Rui went into a meeting an hour ago which is expected to last until the late evening. Xingjie is working on a new song and will join the second part of the meeting Zhou Rui is in later. Zhengting is out of city for the next two weeks and has not updated him on his incident from this morning yet which makes Justin pout as he is curious about what the other plans on doing now that he has to stay there. And since all of his friends are busy he finds himself sitting alone inside the café close to the company building. He sighs and asks himself whether he will really end up doing nothing than being bored on a Friday afternoon alone. Justin nearly drops his cup containing the iced coffee when a hand is placed on his shoulder and making him jump. He turns towards the person and is pleasantly surprised to find Fan Bingbing, Fan Chengcheng’s older sister, standing next to his seat and smiling down at him. He couldn’t help but to return the smile as it’s been quite a while since he has last seen her. “Is this seat taken?”, she asks and gestures towards the seat next to his. Justin shakes his head and watches her take the seat with delight. “I finally meet you Minghao! I’ve heard that you’re back but my schedule is packed as ever so I couldn’t find the time to ask you out to catch up on things.”, Bingbing says as she cups the younger’s face and examines him from side to side, checking whether anything has changed but nods satisfied by the time she pulls her hands back. 

“You’ve indeed gotten more handsome, just like he has told me.”, she mentions and receives a confused look from the younger boy. “Who?”, he asks with one eyebrow raised in curiosity but only receives a smirk from her before she moves on to the next topic. “Anyways, it seems like the god of luck has heard my prayers to let me meet you here. I’m in need of some help and I hope you will agree to my request.”, she says as she sighs in relief. Bingbing takes a sip from her cup of coffee before she continues. “So, you know my brother has that tiny cute kitten and he’s out of town for the weekend to record for a show and left her in my care.”, she begins and Justin can feel a ‘but’ following. “But?”, he asks when she doesn’t continue immediately. “But I’ve received a call a few minutes ago and one of my shootings has been rescheduled and I need to leave tonight. I would take her with me but the director and my personal assistant are both allergic to cat hair which means that no one would be taking care of her while I’m working.”

Justin watches her and sees the hopeful glimmer inside her eyes. “Would you come over and take care of her? She seems to like you a lot from what I’ve heard so it shouldn’t be any problem.”, Bingbing finally asks the most important question. He lets her words sink in and would have accepted immediately just by the thought of finally seeing Tinbao again but then he remembers that the whole situation is not as simple as it may seem since he won’t be able to take her home with him because his father is also allergic to cat hair. He tells her his concern and sees her contemplating about the issue for a while before she claps her hands together having come up with a solution.

“You can just stay overnight! It wouldn’t be the first time and I’m sure I can convince your parents. Besides it is over the weekend so you wouldn’t miss any schoolwork.”, she tells him and waits for his reaction. Justin presses his lips against each other while his face shows a pondering expression not sure about the elder female’s suggestion. It’s true it wouldn’t be the first time for him to stay over at their place but it would be the first time since his fight with Chengcheng. Bingbing seems to understand his reason for hesitating on accepting and pats him on his shoulder reassuringly. “My stupid brother will be out of town until Sunday evening, so you won’t have to see him. Just think about how much you could play with Tinbao until then and I guess your bodyguard will take care of everything else in case you need anything that our apartment doesn’t provide.”

Bingbing’s words sound convincing and he doesn’t see why he shouldn’t accept her request. “Alright, I will come over and take care of Tinbao for you until Sunday afternoon.”, he replies and gets engulfed in a warm hug by Bingbing. “Thank you Minghao! Do you still have those keys Chengcheng gave you last year?”, she then asks him and receives a confirming but hesitate nod. Even though Justin really wanted to return their apartment keys to them when he left over half a year ago after the fight he just couldn’t do it. Maybe it was because his departure was too sudden or maybe he subconsciously hoped to be able reconcile with his friend and held on to the keys as they are a sign of the other’s trust and of their close friendship but he isn’t too sure about the real reason. Justin exchange some more words with Bingbing before she gets picked up by her manager, leaving him sitting alone inside the café again but now with plans for the weekend. At least he has Tinbao to look forward to now, Justin positively thinks as he made his way out of the café. He has always been amazed by how easy Bingbing is able to convince his parents into letting him do things but has never complained about it so he is not really surprised to be greeted by his bodyguard who already got briefed by his father about his stay at the Fan’s apartment. They stop by his home to pick up a small bag with everything he will need for his stay before they head off to Bingbing’s and Chengcheng’s apartment and Justin cannot contain his excitement to see Tinbao the closer they get to the destination.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is no Zikun in this chapter but I hope you guys won't mind. I promise Ziyi and Xukun will appear in the next chapter >.<
> 
> I would like to thank you for leaving comments and letting me know what you guys think about the last chapter and believe me when I say it was really difficult for me to write it since Ziyi is such an angel and deserves the world T-T I will reply later (it's 4AM right now and I got to wake up at 8)
> 
> Once again feel free to leave comments :)


	24. Chapter 24

Zhengting doesn’t know what he has done wrong to be put into such a situation like the one he is in right now. The whole day was filled with embarrassing incidents for him. At first, he assumed that the guy who he now knows is called Bi Wenjun and who helped him find his parents is mute to find out that he has been totally wrong about it. It also didn’t help to see how good looking Wenjun is when he pulled off the ugly broad-brimmed straw hat and the mask from his face. He couldn’t help himself but to form a tiny crush on the tall male who could be a model from their company if he wouldn’t know any better but because of the embarrassing assumption from this morning he has tried to avoid interacting with him as much as possible throughout the day which his parents weren’t a great help with. First, they sent him to go get Wenjun who was watering the plants in the garden for lunch and when Zhengting approached him, the taller accidentally turned the water hose in his direction and Zhengting ended up drenched from head to toe. His newly bought and beloved Gucci shirt is now lying in the laundry waiting to be hand washed. Wenjun only looked at him perplexed when he started to check his clothes for any stains, pointed out that it is only water and didn’t understand what the big deal is about. Then when he was getting changed and still contemplating about which shirt he should wear from the thirty he’s taken with him for the two weeks they are going to stay there, Wenjun had the audacity to walk inside the room without knocking on the door first, catching Zhengting by surprise who was still standing in the middle of the small room shirtless. He’s not someone who would mind someone else to see him shirtless, especially when he doesn’t have to hide his well build torso which he worked hard for. What irked him is that Wenjun didn’t show any reaction to seeing him standing there half naked but only grabbed whatever he needed and left his room without a second glance again. And it really doesn’t help that Zhengting has to share Wenjun’s room with its’ owner because their house doesn’t have enough rooms for the dancer to have his own room. 

His parents then send him to run some errands for them and asked Wenjun to be his guide around the small town because they were afraid Zhengting would go missing without him which is ridiculous because Zhengting doesn’t even get lost in a big city like Shanghai. They ended up not talking much only exchanging some small talk when it was necessary until they were on their way back carrying groceries and Zhengting tripped on what he insists was a root and not just plain air and twisted his ankle. The bag with the groceries he was carrying laid next to him with some of the content scattered on the ground after they fell out of the bag. Zhengting winced as he felt his waist started to hurt too and hoped that his injury didn’t worsen from the fall. He couldn’t believe that the day could even get worse and was at the edge of spilling some tears when he noticed that Wenjun was crouching in front of him and checking his ankle. “You are really clumsy.”, he remembers the taller’s words and watches him get up to pick up the groceries and put them back inside the bag before he came back to where Zhengting was sitting. “Your ankle doesn’t look too bad. How is your waist? I kind of heard of your injury.”, Wenjun asked him with a concerned look and Zhengting couldn’t help but to blush slightly. “I think it’s alright.”, he quickly answered in a whispered and shy tone.

Wenjun still looked pensive and before Zhengting could say anything else the taller has turned around and gestured for him to get on his back. At first Zhengting declined, he was sure that he would be able to walk back on his own but was proven wrong pretty quickly when his ankle and waist both started to hurt once he tried to get up. “Will you stop being stubborn so we can get home and let someone check on your injuries?”, Wenjun remarked. Zhengting pouted as he caved in and climbed on Wenjun’s back. He would be lying if he would say that he hated to be piggybacked by the other. In contrary Zhengting found himself enjoying it more than he should have which really doesn’t help with his tiny crush at all.

His mother was not pleased to find him return with a lightly sprained ankle and they asked the town’s doctor to come over to check on his waist and luckily it was nothing too worrisome. Wenjun received the duty to make sure Zhengting stays in bed for the rest of the day and to take care of him while Zhengting’s and his parents go visit some other old friends of theirs. It seems like Zhengting’s parents found joy in seeing their son’s awkward actions whenever he is near the taller male or at least his mother has noticed Zhengting’s _tiny_ crush because she winked at him mischievously with a knowing grin when she left the room.

The rest of the evening went on pretty uneventful and kind of boring for the dancer since he was prohibited to leave the bed with the exception of going to the bathroom and even then, he could feel Wenjun’s eyes on him. The taller seems to take the task more serious than necessary to Zhengting’s dismay. 

He is browsing through the newest collection of his favorite brand on his iPad to kill time when Wenjun enters the room and sits down in front of his desk with his back turned towards him. Zhengting observes him curiously while Wenjun takes his backpack to take out some books and folders and seemingly starts to study. The dancer makes sure that his phone is set on silent mode before he quickly takes a photo of the taller male and sends it to Justin and Xukun to rant about him to them but none of them replies making him pout disappointedly. He then let his eyes wander around the room for the first time since his arrival and notices the trophies placed neatly on one of the shelfs together with different photos among other things. He’s asking himself what kind of prizes the taller has won when his eyes land on the owner of the room who is still reading the book in front of him and taking notes from time to time. He has now tied up his bangs to keep the hair out of his face and has put on a pair of glasses. The sight makes Zhengting chuckle slightly amused about how the taller looks but he knows that he is in deeper than what he wished for when even the nerdy look makes him feel butterflies flutter inside his stomach and he has only met him for less than a day. Zhengting groans and lets himself fall back against the soft pillows when he realizes that the room has only one bed which he was currently lying in. 

His eyes widen visibly in slight panic. He’s sure he will not survive the night if he will have to sleep next to Wenjun especially since the bed is not the most spacious bed he’s seen. Given it’s not too small and two grown men can probably fit on the bed but how is he supposed to fall asleep when his heart is already beating rapidly by the thought of the possibility of lying way too close to Wenjun alone. Zhengting cups his cheeks with his hands to cover the appearing blush before he turns and buries his face in the pillow. It turns out to be a big mistake as he perceives the smell of sandalwood coming from the pillow when he breathes and his mind starts to wonder whether Wenjun also smells like this. 

Zhengting is engrossed in his thought when he suddenly feels a hand on his arm and lets out a loud yelp before his eyes land on the owner of the mentioned hand who also looks kind of taken aback by his sudden scream. “Are you alright? You didn’t answer when I called you.”, Wenjun asks and sits down on the bed. A frown is visible on his face as he stares intently at the dancer and Zhengting can feel his face redden. Noticing the redness, Wenjun puts one hand on the other’s forehead and the other on his cheek to check his temperature which only increases the blush and making Zhengting all shy.

“I was only thinking of something and didn’t hear you.”, Zhengting answers in a whisper and avoids looking directly into Wenjun’s eyes while fidgeting with the blanket. “Are you sure?”, Wenjun asks once again to make sure. Zhengting nods quickly and turns his gaze back to the taller male to be greeted with a heart melting smile. “Alright, but you have to tell me if you feel unwell in any way.”

Wenjun then gets up and Zhengting watches him leave the room to come back carrying a mattress and setting it down on the ground next to bed he is currently lying in. The taller than takes out another pair of pillows and blankets from one of the cabinet inside his room, put on some duvet covers and then take his pyjama to get ready for bed. Zhengting has already changed into his silky branded PJs when he went to the bathroom a while earlier. He checks the time on his phone and is surprised to see that it’s already pretty late. It seems like the time passed by way too quickly while he was thinking of whether Wenjun would share the bed with him or not. Apparently, he isn’t going to which is more disappointing to Zhengting than what he would admit to himself. At least he will probably be able to fall asleep tonight with no one lying next to him to distract him.

-

The black luxurious car stops in front of the apartment complexes highly monitored by security throughout the area and the driver gets off the car to open the door for his young master before he goes to the back of the car to take out the bag from the trunk. The blond male thanks him and dismisses the driver who is also his bodyguard and tells him that he can take over from here. His bodyguard looks distressed at first, not sure whether he should listen to him or not but then insists on accompanying him to the apartment door before he leaves. Justin rolls his eyes and sighs but lets him do it anyways, not in the mood to fight about this small matter and too excited to see Tinbao again.

They quickly make their way inside and take the elevator to the floor in which Bingbing’s and Chengcheng’s apartment is located at. Justin takes out the keys he has not used in over half a year and inserts one of them to unlock the door. He unknowingly lets out a slight sigh of relief as he sees that he is still able to enter the apartment with the keys Chengcheng gave him. His bodyguard hands over his bag and reminds him to call him if he needs anything before he bids his goodbye and leaves.

Justin then enters the apartment with his bag and closes the door behind him. The lights have switched on by themselves as they detected his movements. He lets his eyes wander around the apartment as he walks through the living room before he takes the stairs towards the bedrooms located on the upper floor. The familiar feeling resembling the one you have when you are coming back home welcomes him but he is not surprised since he has spent a fair share of his time here.

He calls out Tinbao’s name while walking down the hallway in search for the small kitten and stops in front of the door towards the end which he knows is Chengcheng’s room while Bingbing’s is located on the other side of the hallway. Justin’s hand rests on the doorknob and he hesitantly opens it and peeks inside the dark room. Hearing a gentle meowing he turns on the light and looks around the room for Tinbao. He steps inside and calls her once again and just when he thought that she was not inside the room she jumps down from one of the shelves scaring Justin who puts a hand on his chest to calm down before a wide smile appears on his face. With quick steps, he arrives in front of her and crouches down to pet her. Justin then picks her up to hug her and give her kisses which Tinbao gladly accepts. His eyes land on the picture frames lying on the shelf she jumped off from earlier and his gaze stays there for a while observing them as he hasn’t seen them for some time. He picks up one of them he especially liked and remembers pestering Chengcheng to place it there but the elder refused repeatedly to now have it placed exactly where the younger wanted it.

It was one they took when they went to the beach together over the weekend between Chengcheng’s busy filming schedule and without his parents’ consent as they decided on it on a whim. Justin got grounded by his parents for disappearing when they’ve found them lying on the sand stargazing but he still thinks that it was totally worth it. He smiles as he remembers his parents scolding and how both of them exchanged mischievous grins once both of them have turned away. Chengcheng refused to place it there arguing about how ugly he looks on the photo but Justin never cared about how the elder looked. He has been his friend for as long as he can remember and has seen every possible ugly side of him. What matters are the happy memories they shared which the photo represents.

He sighs and places the frame back on the shelf and turns towards the door to leave the room with Tinbao who is still purring in his arms. Justin picks his bag up and walks towards the guest room located directly opposite to Chengcheng’s and tries to open the door. He frowns slightly as the door doesn’t budge and wonders since when the two owners of the apartment started to lock their guest room. Putting his bag down, Justin wanders around the apartment in search for the spare key to open the room but doesn’t find any. He takes out his phone and sends Bingbing a message asking her for the location of the key to receive an apology telling him that she _accidentally_ took it with her. Another message then arrives and Justin is slightly taken aback by it and has to reread it to make sure that it’s really what she texted him. 

 

_19:31_

_Bingbing Jie_

_You can just sleep in Chengcheng’s room_ ;)  _it’s slightly messy but you should be used to the state it’s usually in._

 

Justin sighs and looks around the apartment to maybe find another solution but the sight of the spacious couch in the living room makes him shudder. They’ve once fallen asleep on the expensive and stylish couch after a movie marathon and woke up with sore backs and swore to never sleep on it again. Bingbing’s room was not an option too since he knew how she hates it if someone else touches her bed. To call his bodyguard and ask him to go get him a bed for two nights is a possibility but even if his family is well off and he can afford such luxury he knows that it is a totally ridiculous idea and a waste of money. Justin sighs again and submits to his destiny of having to sleep in Fan Chengcheng’s bed. He carries Tinbao back upstairs and picks up his bag on the way before he goes inside Chengcheng’s room. The time passes by quickly when you get to spend some quality time with such a cute kitten and Justin finds himself yawning tired from playing with her. He quickly gets changed into his sleepwear and climbs on the bed. Tinbao follows him and lies down next to the blond boy, snuggling against him. He turns the light off and both quickly fall into a deep slumber. 

 

Chengcheng rubs his temples as he reads his sister’s messages. He was supposed to be out of town for two days and one night to record for a show but they didn’t expect the weather to suddenly change. Since the rain is pouring nonstop and the forecast predicts that it won’t be stopping any time soon they were forced to end the recording earlier. He is now on his way back to his apartment in drenched clothes and with a slight headache. To add to his frustration his sister has sent him messages of her leaving for a schedule which got rescheduled but telling him to not worry about Tinbao since she has found someone to take care of her. He stares and frowns at her last message which only shows a winking smiley emoticon. Chengcheng shrugs, used to his sister’s sometimes strange behaviors and puts his phone away. He cannot wait to arrive home and take a hot bath to warm his freezing body.

It’s in the middle of the night when his manager shakes him slightly to wake him up since they’ve arrived in front of the apartment complex. Chengcheng quickly thanks him and gets off the van, taking his bag from his manger and wishes him a goodnight. He can still hear his manager telling him to take a good rest, worried about him catching a cold before the elevator doors close and taking him upstairs. He leans against the elevator’s wall with closed eyes and wills the now tremendously ponding headache away.

Chengcheng pushes himself away from the wall to slowly toddle out of the elevator and towards the entrance of their apartment. He fishes out his keys and unlocks the door. His body’s temperature has risen and he feels like he is about to pass out but still attempts to at least get to his room. Once he has found his bed he lets himself fall on top of it not caring about still wearing the clothes he has been in all day but only wanting to fall asleep as soon as possible. He searches for the blanket with one hand while the other is covering his forehead to cool it with his cold hand. He pulls at the blanket which wakes up Tinbao who was lying on top of it and making her hiss in annoyance. 

“Sorry Tinbao but I’m not feeling well. I’ll give you extra snacks tomorrow.”, Chengcheng mumbles as he covers himself with the blanket and turns to find a more comfortable position to sleep. He immediately falls asleep but keeps tossing and turning around while breathing heavily and shivering from the arising fever. Unbeknown to him the boy who was sleeping next to him woke up and watches him with a distressed expression.

-

Waking up by the sound of his alarm, Xukun turns and reaches an arm out leaving the warmth of his blanket to look for his phone to turn off the ringtone. He opens an eye and peeks at the time still tired from his schedule the night before but knows that he will have to get ready since he has another scheduled for the day. Starring at his phone’s screen his finger hovers over the display but he doesn’t dare to swipe through the notifications afraid of what he will find or if he would be more honest with himself what he won’t find. True to his presumption there is no good morning message from Ziyi. It has been two days since the elder has asked him to be his boyfriend, two days since he has rejected him and two days since he’s not received any messages. He doesn’t know from which point onwards he’s gotten used to wake up and fall asleep to Ziyi’s messages but not receiving them has made him restless the past days.

His eyes land on the notification of Zhengting’s messages from last night making him groan as he gets reminded about the other problem he is facing. Xukun taps on one of them and opens the messenger app. He quickly reads through them and almost couldn’t believe what he’s seeing. Zhengting has sent him a photo of the back view of a man and has been gushing about his good looks before they kind of started to sound panicky as the dancer worries about having to share the bed with the other guy. Xukun groans and throws the phone away but it luckily landed next to him on the bed instead of the ground. As Zhengting’s best friend he should be supportive and encourage him but he has just decided to go and confess about having a crush on the other to find him crushing on the next guy he meets. 

Sometimes he really couldn’t understand what is going on inside the head of Zhu Zhengting. His phone’s ringtone gets him out of his thoughts and reminds him to get up and get ready. Xukun goes through his morning routine and waits for his manager to come pick him up. 

Since the anniversary festival is right around the corner the last preparations are being done and all artists of the company are scheduled for individual and group shootings as well as some pre-recordings for promotion and the show itself. Because IP Corp. has a lot of artists signed under them they’ve split the number in two groups. While mainly the models and some singers and actors have their shooting today the rest have theirs’ scheduled two weeks later. It will be a long and tiring day for all of them but Xukun still looks forward to spending some time with the other models as they rarely get the chance to be together for a job. He gets greeted by a lot of familiar faces once he arrives at the venue especially rented for the recording. One of the staff guides him to the dressing rooms to get his planed outfits fitted and adjusted in case they don’t fit perfectly. He passes the main set that is getting build up and is also able to take a quick glimpse of the smaller sets for the individual shootings. After walking through the labyrinth like hallways of the massive venue they finally stop in front of a room. Inside other models from the company are already getting their outfits fitted. They greet each other as Xukun walks inside and looks around in search for his friends’ presence. He finds Zhou Rui standing further towards the inside of the room coordinating everything while checking the attendance. They exchange a quick hug and some small talk before the elder male gets called to go take care of some issues leaving the blond male to wait for his turn. He doesn’t have to wait too long until he gets called and quickly gets changed into the first outfit. Xukun puts on the suit that the staff have prepared and is already waiting for him inside the dressing room. They all seem to have similar looking outfits with some small differences. 

Xukun steps out and waits for the stylist to check the suit while he observes himself through the mirror lined up on the other side of the wall. He’s wearing a white dress shirt where he only tugs in the left side into his pants under the tailcoat. The black coat and the pants have a flowery pattern on them and as he moves the light hits the coat from different angles making the pattern sometimes less and sometimes more visible. He turns around facing the mirror with his back and takes a glance over his shoulder to check his back view. The tailcoat is one of his favorite parts of this outfit and he gets positively surprised to see the two wings adorning the back fits perfectly to the rest of the attire. Xukun then holds still to finally let the stylist get to work and check whether they would need to make any amendments but so far everything seems to be alright. When asked whether he would like to switch the slightly too big dress shirt for another tighter fitting shirt Xukun refused while he tugs and readjusts the bands hanging loosely from his shirt until they fall the way he wants them to.

He goes through the next two sets of outfits before he is instructed to go to another room to get his make-up done after changing back into the clothes he wore when he came in. Not sure where the other room is he walks along the hallway and peeks inside each room checking whether it is the right one until he finally decides to ask one of the staff he meets on his way for directions. Apparently, he was supposed to turn left after coming out of the previous room instead of going back from where he came from earlier. Xukun thanks him and turns around walking back passing the room in which other models are still getting their outfits fitted and is relieved to find the room he is supposed to go to a few doors down the hallway. He notices Jeffrey in one of the seats waiting for the next available make-up artist to start working on him while typing on his phone. Taking the seat next to the elder male he sends him a friendly greeting.

“Oh, hey Xukun.”, Jeffrey says with a polite smile after looking up from his phone and spotting him. Xukun notices how Jeffrey has turned his phone’s display away from his sight like he was trying to not let the younger see what he was doing on his phone. He raises an eyebrow at the strange action since Xukun is not someone who would peek at other people’s phones but doesn’t press on the issue. 

“You’re pretty early.”, Jeffrey tells him in an all too casual tone. “My manager set the alarm and picked me up.”, the younger shrugs and looks around the room to look for more familiar faces. He spots Han Mubo a few seats further away getting his hair styled and Mu Ziyang who just got up after the make-up artist finishes before his attention swerves back to Jeffrey. “Why would you say so? Did you see the schedule for our shooting?”, Xukun then asks curious about the reason but also because there has not been any briefing, yet. They were supposed to get ready first and gather in the main hall in about two hours for the briefing before the actual shooting starts. “Yeah, I saw the schedule yesterday when we were at Ziyi’s place.”, Jeffrey replies.

Xukun stiffens slightly by the mention of Ziyi’s name and by how Jeffrey looks at him he realizes that the elder knows about what happened between them. Of course, he should have known that Ziyi wouldn’t keep it a secret from his best friends but now that he has realized it an awkwardness arises as they both turn their heads away to face the mirror in front of them. Luckily, they both don’t have to talk keep talking to each other since the next free make-up artists come over to start working on them. Xukun picks up his phone and starts playing a mobile game to pass some time while still listening to the instructions of the staff, turning his head when it’s necessary or answering their questions on which color he would prefer from the palette that suits the style of his outfits.

It seems like his body reacts by intuition even before his mind can process what is happening when he feels a presence entering the room. Xukun looks up from his phone and sees the reflection of no other than Wang Ziyi. For a millisecond, their eyes meet through the mirror and he can feel his heart starting to beat faster before the elder turns his gaze away to walk towards the other end of the room. He swallows to get rid of the lump forming in his throat and lets his gaze follow the taller male who was talking to the supervisor in hushed voices. Ziyi then proceeds with greeting the models inside the room one by one and exchanges a few words with them, he gives Jeffrey a simpler version of their bro hug to not get in the way of the make-up artist and Xukun can feel his hands start to sweat knowing that it is his turn next while his mind is already thinking about how he should react and what he should say to him. The disappointment which then follows is almost not possible to be concealed as Ziyi only gives him a polite nod through the mirror before he goes to the next person. The blond male suppresses a pout as he feels his heart ache slightly from Ziyi’s indifference towards him.

Ziyi’s last words from that night come to his mind again and Xukun spends the rest of the time he needed to get ready absentmindedly thinking about them. He has not seen this side of the elder before and he is not sure what to think about it since to him Ziyi has always been a very attentive person. He consoles his mind by reminding himself that the elder’s actions are only because he decided to take some time to give them both some space to really think it through.

Two hours passed and everyone gather in the main hall after getting changed into the first set of outfit. Zhou Rui, Ziyi and some other executive staff members wait for the crowd to quiet down before they go through today’s agenda, explaining that the group will be split into smaller groups and ask them to follow the respective staffs’ instructions while they all receive a copy of the overview of the agenda on which they were already assigned to their groups. “Please go to your group members and wait for the corresponding staff to lead you to the recording studios. The groups will rotate between the photo shootings and the video recordings according to the plan we’ve just handed out.”, Zhou Rui instructs and shoos everyone to move and get started. 

Xukun checks the second page where the names of his group members are listed to see which group he got assigned to. He is glad to find names of fellow models he is familiar with such as Han Mubo and Jeffrey but then stops at a particular name and bites his lower lip nervously. Xukun remembers Zhengting telling him about how Ziyi sometimes also accepted modeling jobs but he didn’t expect the elder to also join this shooting session. A slight presumption appears in his mind but it gets proven wrong by Zhou Rui when he asks him about it on his way to the other’s. “I divided the groups. Why? Aren’t you happy about yours?”, the former singer asks him with slightly raised eyebrows and waits for his answer.

 _So, it wasn’t Ziyi_ , Xukun thinks dejectedly. “It doesn’t matter, I was just wondering.”, the younger of the two brushes the topic off and thanks his long-time friend. _“First Ziyi and now Xukun. What is up with those two. At least I don’t have to deal with Chengcheng and Minghao today!”,_ he hears Zhou Rui mumbling in slight irritation while shaking his head just when he was about to walk over to his group.

When he joins the group he got assigned to, the others were already talking and discussing about the possible concepts excitedly. Xukun took notice of the absence of Ziyi as well as Jeffrey as they get instructed to follow the staff member who is in charge of their shooting today. “Ehm, sorry but aren’t Wang Ziyi and Jeffrey supposed to be in our group”, one of the newer models he’s never talked to and whose name he doesn’t know asks but all eyes and ears then turned towards the staff member waiting for the reply as everyone is curious about the answer. “Mr. Wang is getting changed and will join us later, together with Jeffrey and the singer Lin Yanjun.”, hearing the reply the newbie and his friends start to squeal excitedly. Xukun rolls his eyes annoyed by their reaction and has to hold himself back from giving any sarcastic remarks on their way while listening to their endless fanboying.

They enter the room where everything was already set up and ready for the first takes. As instructed they start with the first set of individual shoots. While one of the group gets his or her photos taken the rest will observe and give pointers or take note of what they could do better during their turn. The concentration gets broken when the previous group of new hired models start to squeal again making almost each and every person inside the room turn towards the entrance. The first to enter is an effortless handsome looking Jeffrey in his black suit, followed by Lin Yanjun who must have arrived when everyone were gathering in the main hall earlier is also wearing black from head to toe but instead of a suit jacket he is wearing a black coat and leaving it open. Xukun notices the satisfied smirk of the singer as he noticed the reaction coming from the group towards his right side. He has seen Ziyi in a suit before but he wasn’t expecting nor ready for what is to come. The blond’s jaw literally drops the moment the elder walks in wearing a black and white patterned silky shirt beneath his suit jacket but what makes his jaw drop and the noise coming from the group of newbies get louder was to see that Ziyi has not buttoned his shirt up completely. Xukun eyes moves from the bottom to the top and counts the buttons that were forgotten.

 _1…2…3…_ Three buttons were left open revealing Ziyi’s toned chest while a necklace hangs loosely around his neck and Ziyi’s hair got gelled back with a few strands falling loosely around his face. Xukun closes his mouth and swallows while trying his best not to stare at Ziyi’s chest or at the male in general. Once again, he is reminded that it is going to be a long day.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter I've written so far with around 5.8k words.  
> As always leave a comment to let me know what you guys think about this chapter ^^  
> And thank you for continuously reading this story, I really appreciate it ~


	25. Chapter 25

Feeling something repeatedly nudging him on his face Chengcheng swats his hand around to stop whoever it is that is trying to disturb his peaceful sleep and pulls the blanket over his face. He hears a hiss and since Chengcheng is still half asleep his mind is not fast enough to realize that it was a thoughtless move until he feels a sting coming from his arm. He covers the stinging part with his hand and takes a peek from under the covers to find Tinbao glaring back at him with her claws out and about to scratch him again. He sighs and avoids the sharp claws from touching his skin just in time. Chengcheng slowly sits up and cups his head before shaking it slightly trying to get rid of the still very present headache before reaching out for the kitten who has now made herself comfortable above the blanket lying on his lap. 

“Why are you acting like this?”, he asks her as they stare into each other’s eyes and tries to look intimidating. Tinbao wiggles trying to break free and looks at her owner with a rarely seen cute expression. Chengcheng’s face softens and he decides to give in and releases his hold. Upon being free again Tinbao raises her head in victory and sits down opposite of Chengcheng. 

They stay like this for a while until Chengcheng carefully raises a hand and waits to see her reaction first before he starts to pet her. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve dreamt. I think my fever played with my mind but I could swear I saw Justin lying next to me. Unbelievable, right?”, he asks her with a light chuckle. Tinbao meows upon hearing the younger boy’s name. She gets up and jumps down from the bed, glances back at Chengcheng like she’s demanding him to follow her before turning away and struts out of the room. Even though he’s slightly irritated by Tinbao’s strange behavior Chengcheng still gets out of bed to follow her. He stumbles on his way since even though his fever has gone down the dizziness is still present. Chengcheng stops midway when he hears some noise coming from downstairs when there should be no sound besides the ones he’s making. He checks his phone for today’s date making sure that he’s not been sleeping for two whole days. Seeing that it is indeed only Saturday Chengcheng starts to wonder whether his manager has contacted his sister and whether she has sent someone over to check on him. There were only a few people who have keys to their apartment. His parents, his sister and her fiancé, of course himself and Justin. He could cross out his parents who are on a trip to Europe and his sister’s fiancé who is on a business trip. The possibility of Justin coming over is even lower. 

Chengcheng unlocks his phone and types in a message to his sister and receives an immediate reply.

 

_9:35_

_Did you come home earlier? I think there’s someone downstairs._

 

_9:36_

_Jiejie_

_No, I’m still on set. But you should go check_ ;) 

 

Chengcheng stares at the message and asks himself why his sister has been behaving so strange the past two days. What if it’s a thief or murderer, is his sister not even worried about his wellbeing? He shakes his head disappointedly and with the intention in mind to report it to his parents later. Who cares if she is going to accuse him of being a snitch he’s only telling the truth, Chengcheng thinks and shrugs with a satisfied grin. Hearing some more noises coming from downstairs he grabs the first best thing that is close by to be able to defend himself in case of an emergency. He follows the noise and stops at the entrance to the kitchen. Chengcheng takes a deep breath to gather his courage before he slowly peeks inside the room. He turns back and then takes another glance not sure whether what he’s seeing is true or not. He shakes his head in disbelief and slowly walks over to the couch. “Wow, I think my fever hasn’t calmed down. I’m still hallucinating...”, he mumbles and leans back against the headrest. Chengcheng fishes his phone out of his pocket to send his sister another text message. 

 

_9:57_

_Jie I think my fever is playing with my mind._

_First, I saw Justin lying in my bed and I just went downstairs to check where the noises are coming from and I saw him again ..._

_Do you think I should go let a doctor check on me?_

 

It takes her awhile longer to reply this time but reading what she’s texted him makes him slightly upset. Here he was telling her how sick he has to be to be hallucinating while she seems to be joking around.

 

_Jiejie_

_10:13_

_And was he as handsome as the real person? Maybe you should apologize to the imaginary Minghao, for practice purposes for whenever you decide to talk to the real one_ ;) 

 

Chengcheng frowns and lets his body slide down sideways now fully lying on the couch and is reminded on why he never liked to lie there. The couch is way too hard for his liking and he can already feel his back ache. He is also reminded of the night Justin and he stayed up all night watching movies to fall asleep on the couch he is lying on right now and to end up with sore backs. Chengcheng smiles fondly at the memories and doesn’t notice the person inside the kitchen carrying a pot with steaming porridge towards the dining table inside the living room. 

“Tinbao, please don’t throw things off again”, Chengcheng groans with closed eyes when he hears a thud coming from the other side of the room and jumps to the assumption that it has to be his mischievous kitten. When he opens his eyes to call her over he doesn’t expect to lock eyes with the illusion created by his mind which looks exactly like Justin standing behind the dining table. Chengcheng blinks a few times and the illusion still didn’t disappear. He then rubs his eyes to get rid of his sleepiness and still sees Justin standing there. “God, this fever is more severe than I thought.”, he lets out another groan and puts a cooling palm on his forehead hoping his sister still cares enough to come check on him or at least send someone over before he goes crazy. The next time he takes a glance towards the dining table the illusion of the younger boy disappeared and Chengcheng lets out a sigh of relief. He could not believe how much he would have to miss the blond boy to be hallucinating about him even if he mostly blames the fever for this. Chengcheng slowly drifts off to dreamland again while his body continues fighting against the fever. He frowns in discomfort from sweating and from the hard, uncomfortable surface of the couch he’s lying on. In his drowsy state, he suddenly feels his bangs being lifted and a cool wet cloth is being put on his forehead. Chengcheng fights against his sleepiness and opens his eyes. He stares right into the face of a judging looking Huang Minghao who disappears once again when he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore to reappear the next time Chengcheng blinks with a blanket and a pillow in his arms. Chengcheng doesn’t perceive what the younger is saying but he could imagine that he’s either reprimanding or cursing at him from the expression on the other’s face. Nevertheless, it still makes him smile at him happily. He doesn’t care whether this is all only an illusion, just the thought of seeing how much Justin still cares makes his heart pound excitedly against his chest. Chengcheng is surprised by his own quick reflexes as his hand which got tucked under the blanket bolts out to grab the younger’s arm when he notices that the other intends to leave even before his mind has really processed it.

“Don’t go...”, he mumbles and looks at Justin with a serious expression. Still holding onto Justin’s arm, he slowly drifts off back into dreamland but his hold doesn’t loosen even when the younger tries to pry it off with all his might.

-

It has to be at least the tenth time since the start of their shooting that Xukun’s eye twitches and he’s starting to wonder whether he’s caught any infection. He walks over to one of the mirrors within the room and observes his eye looking for any hints but cannot find anything. His eye looks perfectly fine, no redness and none of his lashes is turned inwards poking his eyeball so there should be no reason for the twitches. Xukun straightens his pose and adjusts his outfit when he notices that the crowd at the entrance to the room they’re shooting in has increased. Everyone seemingly have coincidentally passed by their room and stopped to try to get a glimpse of none other than Wang Ziyi. His eyes wander and stops at the current center of attention who is discussing the poses the director wants to try out with him as the staff is changing the setting after Jeffrey has finished his turn. He watches Ziyi take a seat on the throne they’ve set up. The lights got dimmed to give it a more mysterious vibe.

He’s seeing another side of Ziyi that he’s never seen before. There is the distinct serious expression Ziyi has when he is focused on editing videos and then there is this side of him which radiates a charm drawing in everyone’s attention. Xukun gets engrossed in watching every change of position and expression on the elder’s face that he doesn’t notice Yanjun’s presence next to him. “Liking what you’re seeing?”, the singer asks with a smirk on his face while also watching his friend at work and startling Xukun. “Sometimes I forget that he’s also modeling because of how much time he spends inside the four walls of his office. Not long ago he has started to leave his office more often which I guess I would need to give you some credit for.”, he continues. “But Jeffrey and I have noticed how he’s slowly falling back into his old patterns of overworking himself.”, Yanjun adds as he turns towards the younger with an icy expression. 

Xukun frowns not understanding what Yanjun means but his words sound like he is accusing him of being the reason for Ziyi overworking himself again. His eyes widen appalled but before he can utter any response the elder’s name gets called by a frowning Jeffrey who is walking over to them. The elder model puts one of his hands on Yanjun’s shoulder seemingly restraining him from saying anything else as they exchange knowing glances. Yanjun huffs annoyed and shrugs off Jeffrey’s hold. He sends Xukun a furious look before bolting off to the other side to grab one of the water bottles and drown his furry. Xukun turns his attention to Jeffrey who is looking at him apologetically. “Don’t take it personal. It’s just, Ziyi is our brother that’s why Yanjun got a bit too worked up. Either way this is between you two and we promised not to interfere.”, Jeffrey tells him before turning around and walking over to join Yanjun before Xukun can respond to him.

He watches them both from where he is still standing and notices the glances they are sending him as they talk. Both of their words go through his mind but before he can think more about them he gets asked by one of the staff to follow her. They walk over to the director who is going through the photos he just took of Ziyi. The staff member announces Xukun’s arrival to which both the director and Ziyi turn their attention towards him. While he gets greeted by the director with a bright smile, Xukun couldn’t read Ziyi’s expression. 

The director looks him over with a satisfied grin. “I knew you would be perfect.”, he says and turns back to Ziyi. “I would like to take a few shots of you two. What do you think?”, he then asks him. It takes Ziyi a few seconds in which he seems to be contemplating about the request. He looks at Xukun and then back at the director with a pensive expression and then starts discussing the concept the director is going for with him. 

Xukun tilts his head in confusion not sure whether the elder has agreed or not. He bits his lower lip nervously as he stands a few meters away from them waiting for someone to tell him the result. They seem to get into an agreement as the director pats Ziyi’s shoulder with a satisfied smile before calling the stylist and make-up artist over to check their outfits and retouch their make-up. While Xukun is still getting his retouched Ziyi has already walked over to the set and is inspecting the changes the crew made. He gives out instructions to change a few more details before checking the outcome through some test shots the director took. Xukun gets called over to them and he finds himself having a hard time focusing on the briefing they are getting when his mind keeps wandering to the taller male standing next to him. He takes a few glances of Ziyi trying to decipher the taller’s thoughts. His glances somewhere turn to stares which he only notices himself when Ziyi turns his head and meets his gaze. Heat rushes into his cheeks. Xukun quickly looks away and would preferably dig a whole to hide himself but since that is not possible he tries to hide his embarrassment through playing it cool. They get through the briefing quicker than expected because all of a sudden, he finds himself being trapped between Ziyi’s arms.

The elder’s body is way too close for Xukun’s sanity. He wonders what he has agreed on and how he could miss this small detail from the briefing. Xukun gulps and sees his reflection inside Ziyi’s eyes. He admits he is currently looking like a deer caught in headlights with his eyes widened in surprise and body stiffened. “You didn’t have to agree on shooting these photos with me if you were uncomfortable.”, Ziyi tells him while staring right into his eyes and Xukun notices how his gaze softens for a moment before he takes a step back to give him some space. Xukun’s body visibly relaxes as he exhales and realizes that he has been holding his breath the whole time. Ziyi sighs and turns towards the director. They exchange glances and the director looks conflicted. He walks over to them, stops in front of Xukun and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Xukun you seem a little stiff. If you think that you won’t be able to pull this off then don’t hesitate to tell me. You are my first pick but I would rather switch models than having bad photos as a result.”, the director tells him with a small frown.

Xukun is upset. Upset about his own unprofessionalism. For as long as he can remember, since the day he started his carrier as a model until this very moment he has never acted this way. There were a lot of hardships and challenges but he has gone through them with confidence and showed his best sides. It’s not like he has never been reprimanded or corrected by the directors he’s worked with before but those were mostly for shoots where he didn’t have enough experience with. The concept they are going for shouldn’t be difficult for him in anyway. He has shot them with other models before but somehow his mind just goes blank with Ziyi this close to him. He wouldn’t back down on a challenge and right now the challenge is to keep his composure and focus on the shooting. Xukun nods determined before he lifts his head up to reply to the director. “I can do this.”, he says and watches the satisfied smile return to the other’s face. “Great! Everyone get back to your positions!”, the director shouts and also returns to his.

Xukun is still upset but not only because of his own work ethic but also because there just seems to be something wrong with the thought of letting them replace him with someone else. He just cannot pinpoint what exactly it is that makes him feel uncomfortable. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes to calm himself down and get into his working mode. 

This time everything goes on fine and the director looks more than satisfied after every shot he takes. He shouts out instructions and urges them to change into different poses. For the last shot he asks them show him some passion. Xukun doesn’t back down and keeps his composure as he stares right into Ziyi’s eyes. He is leaning against the headrest of the L-shaped couch with Ziyi hovering above him. Their suit jackets have been removed somewhere between the shots as they are both only wearing their dress shirts. Xukun’s eyes unknowingly move from Ziyi’s eyes towards his lips while the elder is leaning in. Ziyi’s face is coming closer and closer to which Xukun’s eyes automatically flutter shut when the elder is merely millimeters away from kissing him. He can feel his heart beat increase and his hands start to get sweaty from the anticipation. Even though he is still confused about his feelings and shouldn’t lead Ziyi on, his body has its own mind and recognizes the familiar touches. His mind shuts down and lets his body take over. Any moment from now he would feel the taller’s lips on his own and Xukun already knows that he wouldn’t be able to keep up his resistance for long. Not when his body is trembling in anticipation.

Seconds pass by but the kiss stays out.  “Great! That’s a wrap, you two were amazing.” Instead Xukun gets awoken by the director’s voice and Ziyi has already moved over to the monitor to check the results when he opens his eyes. The younger couldn’t hide the disappointment emerging from the depth of his heart but then he reminds himself that it’s better this way. He wouldn’t know what to do if Ziyi did kiss him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been over a month >.< (hides)  
> Actually there is another part which should have been in this chapter but I haven't finished writing it so this chapter ended up quite short but I think it's better to update a shorter chapter than none. 
> 
> How have you all been?  
> Are you also as excited for Nine Percent's album?


	26. Chapter 26

Zhengting stares at the reflection of his sleep deprived face. Contrary to his worry he surprisingly was able to fall asleep rather quickly but got woken up by his ringing phone in the middle of the night. At first, he thought it was his alarm going off to wake him but when he took a glance and saw Justin calling him he was ready to kill the younger if his call would turn out to only be a prank. In the end Zhengting was glad he decided to pick up. The younger has called him to ask what he should do with Chengcheng and how to get his fever to calm down. In his still sleepy state Zhengting didn’t really realize what the younger was talking about and Justin had to repeat his question once more before the elder comprehended what was going on. He was so surprised that his sleepiness flew away right away and he had to hold himself back from shouting out loud and waking everyone up. He is glad he was able to help Justin but the dark circles around his eyes aren’t as grateful to him. 

Zhengting goes back into Wenjun’s room in search for his moisturizing sheet masks. Wenjun was still sleeping when he left the room earlier but there is no sight of the taller male once he steps back in the room. The dancer goes through his luggage in frustration and goes as far as to spill the content of his bags onto the bed and the floor but still couldn’t find what he’s searching for. Zhengting groans and lets himself fall onto Wenjun’s bed. He couldn’t believe that he forgot something that important and now has to live with dark circles and dry skin. He makes a mental note to make sure to let Justin and Chengcheng both pay for his misery once he’s back in Shanghai. They also owe him an explanation as to why Justin was at Chengcheng’s place in the first place. The worry about his friend has let him forget about the real important question during their phone call but it’s never too late to confront them. Zhengting sighs and closes his eyes. Maybe he will miraculously fall asleep and wake up with his usual perfect skin again. 

The next time he opens his eyes a few hours have passed and the room was spotless clean. His clothes were neatly folded and most of his beauty products placed back inside his make-up bag but he doesn’t remember cleaning them up after spilling everything out so he just assumes that it was his mother who helped him. 

Zhengting gets up and changed. He’s shocked to find out that it is already past noon. Walking around the house he couldn’t find his parents, nor Wenjun’s parents and not even the taller boy. Zhengting is in search for something to eat in the kitchen when the front door opens and Wenjun walks through it before stepping inside the kitchen.

“Oh, you’re awake.”, the taller says as he puts down the bag he was carrying. Zhengting is about to turn his head away from the opened fridge and towards the voice when all of a sudden Wenjun appears right behind him. The taller reaches inside the fridge and picks up a bottle of soda, trapping Zhengting between his body and the fridge for a few moments. Zhengting gulps and stares at Wenjun’s side profile with wide eyes. Wenjun doesn’t notice, steps back with the bottle, opens it and walks away while drinking the sweet drink. Zhengting couldn’t believe that the taller doesn’t even notice the effect he has on him. He closes the fridge door and watches Wenjun unpack the bag he left on the kitchen counter earlier. The dancer walks over and plops his arms on the counter while Wenjun starts to wash some ingredients. “Our parents left together. I’ll try and make us something for lunch hope you don’t mind.”, Wenjun says as he looks at him with a smile. A light blush spread on Zhengting’s face and he quickly hides his face between his arms hoping that Wenjun won’t notice it. All of a sudden Zhengting feels self-conscious about his appearance. The additional hours of sleep have helped his skin regain some of its radiance but he’s still not back to what he is used to look like. Meanwhile there is this gorgeous looking man standing on the other side of the kitchen aisle cooking for them. The words perfect boyfriend is basically hovering above Wenjun’s head from Zhengting’s point of view. His mind wanders off and he starts day dreaming about what it would be like to have the other as his boyfriend. 

“Are you alright?”, Wenjun asks with a hand on his forehead. “Your face is really red.” The blush he was trying to cover only deepens when he gets awoken from his daydream by the taller. He clears his throat in embarrassment and takes a step back from the kitchen aisle to get away from Wenjun’s touch. “Let me help you!”, Zhengting says in an attempt to change the topic. He quickly walks around the aisle and takes the knife lying on the cutting board. 

With a racing heart Zhengting picks up a bell pepper and starts cutting it into slices. Wenjun watches him with an increasingly worried expression as the elder’s pose and handling of the knife is not how you’re supposed to do it. “Ehm, Zhengting, you don’t need to help me. I don’t want you to accidentally cut yourself. I can do it.”, Wenjun tells him and reaches out to take the knife away. As stubborn as Zhengting is he doesn’t want to appear useless in front of Wenjun. He turns towards the taller with the knife still inside his hand to argue about how he is doing perfectly fine just when the taller is about to take it away. Wenjun thanks his quick reflexes for saving him from being stabbed by the other. “Be careful!”, he says while he puts a hand on his chest to calm himself down. Zhengting widens his eyes in shock not intending to harm the taller in anyway. “Oh my god! I didn’t hurt you, right?”, he exclaims panicky and takes a step closer just to realize that he probably should put the knife down first. Wenjun shakes his head to reassure him. “You can keep cutting the veggies but just be careful.”, the taller says as he points at the knife in Zhengting’s hand. He has already given up on taking the knife away from the elder partly because he’s afraid that one of them will get hurt and walks over to the stove to start cooking. 

Zhengting stares at Wenjun’s back with an apologetic expression for a while before he turns back to the cutting board in front of him. He is determined to finish cutting all the vegetables to show Wenjun that he is more than capable to finish this unscathed. Everything goes on well until he gets slightly distracted from taking glances of Wenjun and lets his hand slip. A loud outcry can be heard as Zhengting lets go of the knife to examine the cut on his finger. Drops of blood appear on top of the cut as he grasps his finger and blows on to it in an attempt to ease the pain. 

Wenjun immediately turns off the stove when he hears Zhengting’s painful exclamation and turns towards the elder male. He carefully grabs Zhengting’s hand and also examines the cut. The dancer winces slightly and bites his lip with small teardrops forming in the corners of his eyes. Wenjun sighs and leads him over to the sink to wash his finger before he tells him to wait there as he leaves to get the first aid kit. Zhengting takes the opportunity of the taller’s absence to wipe his tears away. When the younger comes back he finds Zhengting obediently sitting at the kitchen aisle with his hand held up high to prevent more blood from being shed. He starts disinfecting the wound before the puts a band aid around the finger. “Luckily, it’s not a deep cut.”, Wenjun says while putting the things he used back into the first aid kit after he’s done treating the others cut. “Now just stay here while I finish the cooking.”, the younger says. Zhengting wants to protest but stays silent upon seeing Wenjun’s disapproving look. The taller quickly puts the first aid kit away before he positions himself in front of the cutting board to finish the chopping and then the cooking. 

Zhengting props his crossed arms on the kitchen aisle and then rests his head on them. He watches Wenjun move around the kitchen with adoring eyes and a shy smile on his lips. It’s like in one of those movies where suddenly you just shut every other thing out and can only see that one person and a romantic song gets played in the background.

When the younger presents the finished and delicious smelling dishes in front of him and even gives in to the dancer’s request of feeding him because his finger all of suddenly starts to hurt too much to hold a pair of chopstick, he knew that he would be a fool to let him slide out of his grasps. Zhengting grins at Wenjun with satisfaction and his mind stars to plan on how to make the handsome male become his official boyfriend. 

-

Ziyi opens the door to his personal makeshift office in the venue they rented for today’s shooting to find Jeffrey and Yanjun both inside. They’ve made themselves comfortable on the two two-seater couches that have been placed in the room leaving Ziyi with no other option as to sit down at the desk where his laptop is set up. He takes a sip of the luke-warm coffee inside the tumbler he almost forgot he still had. Yanjun grimaces at the sight preferring his newly brewed and still piping hot cup his assistant Dinghao had the pleasure to drive all the way to the next café to get for him. 

Ziyi unlocks his Laptop and checks the first shots that got sent to him. He can feel his two best friends’ eyes on him while he’s going through the photos and looks up with a questioning look. “Is there something on my face?”, he asks them with a raised eyebrow and received equally questioning looks back. “I thought you wanted to keep your distance from him. Why did you agree on shooting with him then.”, Yanjun straightens up and waits for Ziyi’s reply with a displeased expression. “From a professional’s point of view there was nothing to be against the director’s request. Xukun is a great model and the results looked very promising.”, Ziyi simply states, eyes diverting from Yanjun back to his laptop screen. He quickly replies to some urgent emails and misses the glance Jeffrey and Yanjun exchange. “I’m not questioning your professionalism but who are you trying to fool. You barely held back during the last shot.”, Jeffrey states making Ziyi halt his movements for a second before he regains his composure. 

Ziyi lets out a long sigh while finishing his reply before he leans back against the backrest of his seat and brushes through his hair with his hand. Jeffrey is right, who was he fooling with acting like this all doesn’t affect him in any way. Being this close to Xukun when his feelings are still as strong as before doesn’t make it any easier for him to keep himself away from the other. Letting go is even more difficult. When he caught sight of Xukun this morning his instincts were telling him to go get closer to him. Ziyi was barely able to hold himself back and had to remind himself that whatever they had was over. It didn’t help how breathtakingly beautiful Xukun was looking today. There were so many things he wanted to tell him, to shower him with compliments just to see the shy blush appearing on the other’s cheeks. However as much as he wished to say those words he knew they were better left unsaid.

When the director requested for them to shoot together Ziyi has weighted the pros and cons and very rationally decided to accept the request. Or that is what he wants to believe because as soon as they started he found himself getting pulled in by Xukun’s presence. At that very moment, all the feelings he is trying to suppress were fighting their way to come back to the surface. That’s why his heart broke just a little bit more seeing the startled look in the younger’s eyes but he succeeded to keep his composure until the very last shot was done. It was too brief to call it a proper kiss but Ziyi can still feel the touch of Xukun’s soft lips linger on his own. His fingers subconsciously move up and brush against his lips. 

“Oh shit, Jeffrey did you see that?! He’s already in too deep!”, Yanjun exclaims with wide eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”, Ziyi clears his throat and pretends that nothing happened and that everything is alright. His friends observe him and decide to stop their questioning upon seeing how conflicted Ziyi is looking.

The three of them stay inside the office during their break before they get changed into different outfits and join the others on set once again. The background has been changed and the lightning has been turned on brighter giving the set a more welcoming look. Some of the other models are not back from their break giving them the perfect opportunity to get some group shots with just the three of them done. They fool around on set making Ziyi almost forget about all the things troubling his mind. He is glad to have such good friends he can call his bros and he will make sure to show them how much he appreciates them in the future. Ziyi is so distracted that he doesn’t notice someone is watching him from the other side of the set with a frown and a visible pout on his face.

 

Xukun has come back from his break with his fellow co-models to see Ziyi, Jeffrey and Yanjun posing with wide smiles on their faces in front of the camera. He couldn’t keep himself from smiling seeing how happy Ziyi looks right then. But his smile soon turned into a pout as he remembers how he has not seen that smile being directed at him at all today. He feels a slight pang deep down but doesn’t understand where it is coming from. A frown appears and deepens the more he thinks about the source of his confusion.

With a heavy heart, he turns away and walks out of the room. Xukun takes out his phone and starts typing a message to Zhengting, asking him to meet up with him as soon as possible because he has something to tell him. He sighs in relief when he finally presses the send button. He cannot wait to get what he has been keeping for himself of his chest and confess to the dancer.

-

Fan Bingbing carefully turns the doorknob to her and Chengcheng’s apartment trying to make as less noise as possible. The shoot has ended and after a brief appearance at the production team dinner she excused herself to go back home to check on her brother. Even though she knows that Justin is there to take care of him she’s still worried since the last message she received from him was from quite a few hours ago. The younger has texted her to reassure her that her brother is still alive and sleeping. He even sent her a photo of her drooling brother to her amusement. It appears like Chengcheng and Justin are on their way to reconcile and she’s more than happy about the progress. 

Walking inside the dark living room with only the light of the running TV illuminating the surroundings Bingbing looks around in search for any sight of either Justin or Chengcheng. She finds them lying next to each other on the couch with Tinbao snuggled up against Justin’s back. Bingbing quickly takes a photo of the cute sight from where she is standing. Upon closer look, she notices how Chengcheng is wide awake and staring at Justin with a pensive face. Bingbing takes a few steps closer but just when she was about to ask him how he is feeling Chengcheng holds up a finger to his mouth indicating her to keep silent. He then points at Justin who is sleeping quietly next to him. Bingbing rolls her eyes. Of course, her brother would first complain about how she seems to not care about him and when she wants to ask him about his wellbeing he shushes her because Huang Minghao is sleeping and his sleep shall not be disturbed. She shakes her head with an amused smile on her face as she turns off the TV before walking towards the staircase to go upstairs to her room and leaving the two boys alone. 

Chengcheng watches his sister walk away before he turns his attention back to the boy who was lying next to him on the narrow couch. He couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing again. At first, he thought that he was still hallucinating when he woke up from his feverish sleep a while ago and spotted him lying not far away from him on the couch. Doubting that it was really the real Justin lying there he came closer and raised a hand to gently poke the other’s cheek with his finger. Chengcheng’s eyes widened once his mind slowly realized that he was not hallucinating or dreaming all along before a wide smile appeared. He would have shout out in joy but that would have woken up Justin and he didn’t want to confront him yet. The younger looks too peaceful in his sleep and it has been awhile since they have been this close without ignoring or glaring at each other. He realized how much he missed him even more. 

When Bingbing came home and didn’t look even the tiniest bit surprised to find Justin inside their apartment he knew the other’s presence has something to do with her. Now when he thinks back to the text messages he’s sent her he realizes how much of a fool he must have appeared to be. Suddenly his sister’s replies also kind of make sense to him. But Chengcheng is still slightly mad at her regardless of how she successfully convinced Justin to come over and watch over him. She could have still given him a hint. 

His mind then wanders to the reason why Justin and he fought in the first place. In retrospect, they both were such hardheaded fools. Fighting about trivial matters and scaring their friendship in the process. He sighs as he gently brushes some hair strands out of Justin’s face. Chengcheng then slowly leans in to lay a peck on the younger’s head. His cheeks flare up when he realizes what he has just done but he is not surprised about his action. He lies down next to the younger, wraps his arms around the younger and pulls him closer making sure Justin won’t fall off from the couch before he closes his eyes and falls back asleep. 

 

Justin wakes up with the feeling of two arms wrapped around him. He blinks a few times in his still drowsy state. It takes him a few more seconds to realize that he’s lying next to Fan Chengcheng and being hugged like a life-sized pillow by the elder. His attempt to free himself only makes Chengcheng hug him tighter until it even gets difficult for him to breath.

“Fan Chengcheng!”, he calls the other’s name a few times trying to wake him up or at least get him to let go or loosen his hug. Justin rolls his eyes when that didn’t work. Trust Fan Chengcheng to be a heavy sleeper. Hearing footsteps coming from upstairs he turns his head as far as it is possible for him towards the direction of the staircase. Bingbing who has heard Justin call her brother’s name got curious and decided to go check on them. She stops midway and hides a grin behind her hand. She cannot stop to think how cute both of them look even though Justin has a rather tortured expression on his face.

“Bingbing Jie! Please, help me!”, Justin exclaims with pleading eyes. Bingbing chuckles and walks the last few steps down and towards where the two boys were lying. She can tell with just one glance that her dear brother is faking being asleep and has to keep herself from rolling her eyes but she has to admit that his acting is quite well done. While she is still contemplating on whether to help Justin to get out of her brother’s hug or not Tinbao has been awaken from Justin’s voice. She has been observing her owner and decides to jump on him. Chengcheng can literally feel her scheming eyes on him as she walks closer to his face. Bingbing and Justin both watch her with interest, waiting to see what Tinbao is going to do. Chengcheng having spent most of his time with Tinbao can already guess what his mischievous cat is planning even with closed eyes and is quick enough to dodge her sharp paw in time before it hits his face. “TINBAO!”, he shouts and receives an equally loud hiss back. Chengcheng sits up abruptly making Justin almost roll down the couch and picks up the kitten. They have a staring battle while Justin watch them in disbelief and Bingbing in amusement. Just when Chengcheng is about to reprimand her on her behavior Tinbao gets taken away by Justin who gives her reassuring kisses while stroking her fur to calm her down. The elder male looks at him in disbelief and wants to complain but stops when Justin sends him a disapproving glare.

Chengcheng glares at the kitten in Justin’s arm and he could swear he saw a self-satisfied grin on the feline’s face. “That’s exactly why she’s so naughty!”, he then mutters to himself annoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up adding about 700 words to this chapter today.  
> So how have all of you been? Have you all watched the "I need a doctor" MV?! If you did, what do you think?  
> As for myself I definitely prefer I need a doctor over rule breaker and hope we will get a live performance with all 9 members soon >.< I'm not sure how many songs they will perform at Migu so ...  
> And I'm so looking forward to the last song and MV ~
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments :)


	27. Chapter 27

“Do the move again”, the silver haired male says while supervising the smaller male’s moves with hawk’s eyes. He nods satisfied about the small improvement the other has made within the few sessions they had. “Good, let’s take a short break.”, Yanjun tells Zhangjing and turns the music off before playing some random songs from his phone’s playlist. Zhangjing gladly welcomes the break and drowns a whole water bottle. He really couldn’t understand why his best friend Lin Chaoze would enjoy dancing so much when it is so exhausting. The smaller leans his body against the wall and closes his eyes wishing he would be in bed. But instead of his cozy and warm bed he finds himself inside the dance studio drenched in sweat and sitting on the cold floor. He looks at Yanjun who’s still standing at the other side of the studio immersed in whatever is on his phone. He subconsciously gives the taller male a once-over and taking a good look of all of his features. Yanjun then suddenly starts grinning making his dimples pop out. Zhangjing bites his own lower lip to hold himself back from swooning over them. God forbid, he must not show any weakness in front of Lin Yanjun or the other would get even more conceited over his good looks. 

“Let’s continue so we both can end this sooner.”, he says. The singer gets up from the floor and stretches his sore muscles getting ready to continue with the dance session. Yanjun turns his head in his direction with a slightly surprised expression. He didn’t expect Zhangjing to be so diligent in wanting to improve his dancing skills. “Okay, sure.”, Yanjun says still with the astonished look before he turns the song Zhangjing has been dancing to back on. 

They decide to finish their dance session just when Dinghao enters the room holding a cup of hot coffee in his one hand and a paper bag in the other. “Are you two done?”, he asks them. Yanjun nods and holds out his hand for the cup of coffee. Dinghao quickly hands him the beverage before going over to Zhangjing who’s busy picking up his belongings. “Look what I got you~”, Dinghao says with a wide grin while holding the paper bag up. Zhangjing’s eyes widen in astonishment. “No way!”, he exclaims and quickly takes the bag from the other to look inside for the content. “Oh my god! Lu Dinghao you really got me my favorite food.”, Zhangjing couldn’t conceal his joy and excitement over the mouthwatering dish Dinghao has gotten him. “Told you I would.”, the assistant replies proudly.

Yanjun watches the conversation between the other two while sipping from his cup of coffee. He raises an eyebrow wondering since when the two of them have gotten so close. They look like longtime friends when they barely know each other for only a few days. Feeling slightly left out, Yanjun decides to walk over to get their attention. Both Zhangjing and Dinghao stop talking when they notice Yanjun has walked over and is looking at them with curiosity. “Since when are you two so close?”, he asks them and points at the two of them with his index finger. Zhangjing and Dinghao exchange knowing glances before they both burst out laughing. Yanjun frowns not understanding why they would suddenly start laughing. 

“It’s a secret.”, Dinghao replies while trying to catch his breath. A head appears at the entrance to the dance practice room and the three of them turn their attention towards the person peeking inside. “Zhangjing-Ge, here you are! We are almost late to our vocal practice.”, they hear Chen Linong say. The younger then enters the room and takes Zhangjing’s bag from him. “Is it already that late?”, the singer asks and checks the time on his phone. Nongnong is indeed right about them almost being late. He didn’t even notice how fast time went by during his dance practice session with Yanjun. 

 “Anyway, thank you for getting me my favorite food. I have to leave now before Nongnong and I get scolded for coming in late. I’ll see you around Dinghao.”, Zhangjing chuckles and bids his goodbye to Yanjun’s assistant before disappearing with Nongnong and the paper bag. Yanjun watches the elder male leave and frowns. Did You Zhangjing just forget that he also existed, so much to being friends. His mood suddenly turns downwards and he unintentionally let’s it out on his poor assistant. Dinghao rolls his eyes in annoyance behind Yanjun as he follows him to his next schedule. He can’t wait to text Zhangjing and rant about his frustration with having to deal with Lin Yanjun’s mood swings. 

The assistant almost bumps into the singer when the later suddenly stops midway, turns around and looks at him like he wants to ask him something just to turn back and continue walking. This happens a few more times before Dinghao couldn’t stand it anymore. He glares at the taller with an annoyed look. “Just say what you want to!”, he finally let his annoyance take over. Yanjun looks kind of startled by the outburst of his assistance but quickly catches his composure. He clears his throat and without directly looking at Dinghao mutters his question. “So, how come you two are suddenly so close?”

Dinghao just stares unbelievingly at Lin Yanjun not understanding where the question is suddenly coming from. “Are you talking about Zhangjing and I?”, he asks the taller and if he wouldn’t have been looking at the singer he would have missed the nod coming from him. Totally taken aback by the question Dinghao doesn’t know what to reply in the first place. He couldn’t tell Yanjun that the two of them bonded over their annoyance over him. That would be a suicidal move. He can imagine how the singer would fire him on the spot without any care. Slightly panicking Dinghao tries to think of a good reply since the one he gave him in the practice doesn’t seem to be enough. “We have a common topic...?”, he replies but it sounds more like a question rather than a statement. 

Yanjun nods but still doesn’t look satisfied with the answer. “Which is?”, he asks and looks directly at Dinghao with his piercing eyes this time. Dinghao gulps intimidated by the taller’s look, feeling his eyes see right through him. “It’s ... it’s ...”, he stammers while Yanjun waits expectantly for his reply. “It’s about you!”, he blurts out and immediately regrets it. Dinghao closes his eyes already expecting the singer to explode in anger. When even after a few moments the words ‘you’re fired’ still didn’t come out of the singer’s mouth does he finally dare to slowly open his eyes to take a glimpse of the other. Yanjun is standing motionless in front of him while being deep in thoughts. “You guys talk about me?”, the silver haired male then asks making Dinghao jump slightly. His assistant nods slowly still expecting to get fired any moment. 

“I knew it, no one can resist this handsome face.”, Yanjun then says while a smirk appears on said face. The singer doesn’t bother to elaborate his train of thoughts and just turns around and walks away with a confused Dinghao trailing behind him. The reaction was not what he was expecting but he is glad that he didn’t get fired. Dinghao shrugs, he will just let Yanjun believe in whatever his mind has made up as long as he can keep his job. 

-

Jeffrey watches Ziyi pocket another ball before his gaze wanders over to Yanjun who is sitting on the couch swirling the drink in his hand around absentmindedly. He has been grinning from the moment he stepped inside the room and the sight kind of scares Jeffrey. “Ziyi, what’s wrong with him?”, he asks and gestures towards the singer. Ziyi turns his head around to take a glance of his friend before he shrugs and turns his attention back to the pool game. “Seems like he’s been behaving like this since Tuesday.”, Ziyi answers as he makes his next move. Dissatisfied with the answer Jeffrey decides to ask the singer himself. He walks over to the Yanjun and sits down next to him. “What’s with your foolish grin?”, Jeffrey asks and nudges Yanjun to get the younger’s attention. The later turns to look at him. “Let me ask you, if someone usually doesn’t show much interest in you but then you find out he is talking about you with your assistant. What does that mean?” It takes Jeffrey a few moments to think about the question before giving Yanjun his answer. “Either that person is clearly badmouthing you behind your back or secretly likes you”.

“I knew it!”, the younger exclaims victoriously. Hearing the exclamation Ziyi also turns his attention to his friend and joins the two others. “What do you know?”, he asks after taking a seat on the other side of Yanjun. “No one can resist my charms.”, his best friend replies to which Jeffrey and Ziyi pretend to gag not being able to endure his narcissism. Yanjun frowns slightly seeing them act like that and playfully shoves them away from him before all three burst out in laughter. “Who is the poor soul that might be crushing on you?”, Ziyi adds after they’ve all calmed down. “The newbie you assigned to me.”, Yanjun casually replies while checking his phone for new messages. “You mean You Zhangjing?”, Ziyi asks with a slight doubt in his voice. Yanjun nods not bothering to look up from his phone. Jeffrey and Ziyi exchange knowing glances before shaking their heads in disbelief. Even though they don’t know You Zhangjing well, it is still well known that the elder dislikes Lin Yanjun for a variety of reasons. Only their bro doesn’t seem to know about that. So, to hear him assume that Zhangjing has a crush on him is ridiculous and amusing at the same time. Especially if you take into account that Zhangjing as “azorachin” is Yanjun’s favorite singer. 

Ziyi gestures to Jeffrey whether they should tell Yanjun about how wrong he is but Jeffrey only shakes his head. Might as well let their best friend believe in whatever his mind has made up and see where this is leading to. Moreover, Ziyi did assign him as Zhangjing’s dance instructor and it would be lethal for the elder singer if Yanjun knew about his dislike. They shudder at the thought of what Yanjun would make Zhangjing go through during their sessions if he knew. 

Yanjun looks up from his phone to turn his attention to his two best friends. He doesn’t question them on their weird expressions but nudges Jeffrey before holding his phone up showing something to the elder. Jeffrey nods acknowledging after reading through the message displayed on the phone screen. They then both turn towards Ziyi, one with a scheming grin, the other with a kind of apologetic but at the same time determined expression. Their looks make Ziyi wonder what they have up their sleeves. He couldn’t help feeling like they have planned something Ziyi would probably not like.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”, he asks and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Yanjun throws an arm around Ziyi. “We’ve asked Ruibin to clear your Friday evening. You’re going out tomorrow!”, Yanjun says proudly and squeezes Ziyi’s shoulder optimistically. The younger looks at his two friends skeptically in return. “Why would I? I still have a lot of work to do. Moreover, we are already meeting up today. What have you two planned?” 

Jeffrey gets up to stand in front of Ziyi and also puts a hand on the younger’s shoulder to reassure him. “We’ve arranged a blind date for you.”, the model states slowly while looking into Ziyi’s eyes to make sure he understood their intention. Ziyi lets the words sink in before he looks at Jeffrey and Yanjun in disbelief. He couldn’t belief that his two friends would go as far as setting up a blind date for him when he has told them multiple times to not interfere with this. “I’m not going.”, he simply replies and crosses his arms in front of his chest while holding back the uprising anger. “I told you guys that I’m fine and I’ll deal with this.”

“Ziyi you cannot bottle this up. Please, it’s just a simple meeting and you can decide whether or not it’s going anywhere afterwards.”, Jeffrey says in an almost pleading tune and Yanjun nods in agreement. “The best way to forget is to find someone new.”, the singer adds.

Ziyi huffs and rolls his eyes. Yanjun makes it sound so easy but he is not the one having to let go and forget about someone he likes. Ziyi would even call it love but the pain that is connected to this word is too much for him to handle right now. For a moment, he wonders whether the singer himself would be able to do as he said if it were him but holds himself back from uttering the question.

He listens to a few more words of persuasion before freeing himself out of their hold and gets up. “I won’t repeat myself, I’m not going.”, he tells them and storms out of the room. 

Jeffrey and Yanjun exchange a look of disappointment before sighing out loud. They have already expected this outcome but decided to still give it a try.

“Don’t worry. Plan A failed but we still have plan B.”, Yanjun grins at Jeffrey who looks back at him with confusion written all over his face. “What plan B are you talking about?”

-

Today is the day. Xukun checks his last conversation with Zhengting to make sure that he has not mistaken the date or time they decided to meet up. He’s feeling nervous and cannot stop checking the time on his phone. The meeting he is currently attending seems like a never-ending torture. He finds himself jump up in a hurry from his seat once Zhou Rui dismisses them to leave the room while sending his manager a message to pick him up downstairs. It’s not like he is running late but he is afraid to be caught in any traffic jams on his way to Hangzhou. Zhengting has agreed to meet up with him but told him that he won’t be back to Shanghai until the next week. Since Xukun has decided to confess his feelings as soon as possible, to not chicken out at the very last second this time, he found himself agreeing to drive all the way to meet up with the dancer in Hangzhou. 

In his haste, he doesn’t notice the two males standing outside of the conference room and runs right into them. Xukun catches himself from falling and quickly apologizes while pivoting towards the elevators wanting to leave but gets held back by one of them. He looks up and sees that it’s Jeffrey standing next to Yanjun who is crossing his arms in front of his chest upon realizing it is him. 

“Are you alright?”, Jeffrey asks looking genuinely worried. “I’m just in a hurry.”, the younger replies and waits for Jeffrey to let go of him. “Oh sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were not hurt.” The elder then let’s go of him and the three of them walk towards the elevators with Jeffrey and Yanjun walking a few steps behind Xukun. They enter the same elevator and make their way downstairs. As they are standing within a closed area Xukun couldn’t help but to listen to the other two’s conversation. 

“I’m glad Ziyi decided to give in and agree to go to the blind date we set up for him tonight.”, he hears Yanjun say to Jeffrey. The way Yanjun is talking about this makes it sound like he wanted to let Xukun know about it on purpose. Xukun feels his body stiffen slightly when the words sink in and his mind has processed what they were talking about. He hopes that the other two would not turn around and see whatever reaction is shown on his face. The blond male just keeps silent and leaves the elevator once it stops at the ground floor where his manager is waiting for him. He knows he should be relieved that Ziyi is finally moving on but something in his guts twists and turns every time he replays Yanjun’s words inside his mind. 

It keeps haunting him throughout his ride to Hangzhou and wouldn’t let him rest even when he tries to push the thoughts to the deepest corner inside his mind. 

He shouldn’t be thinking of Ziyi. He should be thinking about what he wants to tell Zhengting but every time he thinks that he has succeeded in pushing the chief content officer out of his mind the other just reappears. And every time he comes back it gets more and more difficult to not think of him. It seems like his mind is taunting him with never stopping to push the thought of Ziyi going on a blind date back into his focus. Xukun wants to cry out because it makes him frustrated to no end. 

-

Zhu Zhengting is beyond frustrated. Never has he tried to get someone’s attention and make them fall for him so hard. Usually people would be charmed by him without him having to do anything but Wenjun turns out to be a tough nut to crack. Zhengting has tried every possible thing he could think of, from being subtle at first to showing his interest so obviously that even a blind person could possibly see it. The only the person who seemingly is oblivious to all of his advances is the one they are directed at. 

They have become closer over the past week and often spend time together but Zhengting couldn’t help to think that it’s all just in a friendly manner. Disregarding all his failed attempts the dancer still insisted to follow the Wenjun to Hangzhou where the later as the president of the badminton club has some kind of activities scheduled. On one hand, he wanted to take the opportunity to get to know him better and on the other hand he couldn’t wait to see Wenjun, as tall and handsome as he is, running around the court. Just the thought alone already makes him all giddy. 

He went as far as not minding taking the bus even when he prefers the car over any public transportation at any given time. And if anyone were to accuse him of pretending to be asleep just to snuggle against Bi Wenjun he would most probably deny all accusations. 

“Zhengting, wake up we’re almost there.”, he hears Wenjun’s soft voice call him. Zhengting waits a few seconds before he slowly opens his eyes to keep the facade of just waking up alive. He rubs his eyes and stretches. Even a small yawn is added to the list. He mentally praises himself for being such a great actor and even considers trying out acting in the future. 

He looks out the window to see the massive campus enfolding in front of them. The bus takes a turn and stops at the campus bus stop. The few students inside the bus get up and all get off with Wenjun and Zhengting following them. They wait for the driver to unload their bags before picking them up. While Wenjun only has a small backpack with him, Zhengting has packed a whole suitcase for the two nights they are going to stay there. He remembers the other’s reaction when he appeared with the suitcase this morning. Even his mother couldn’t help but rolled her eyes at her high maintenance son. 

Halfway to the younger’s dorm Zhengting starts to regret having packed so many items. “How far is it?”, he asks and stops in his track. Wenjun who is walking in front of him also stops and turns towards the dancer before pointing to a building not far from them. “It’s not that far away. Maybe about a few hundred meters.”, he replies and holds back his laughter upon seeing Zhengting’s horrified expression. He shakes his head before walking over and taking the handle of the suitcase away from the elder male. “I’ve warned you. You could have stayed at home with our parents.”, he adds before setting off towards the dorm. Zhengting quickly catches up with a pout on his face which doesn’t go unnoticed by the younger. He ruffles Zhengting’s hair playfully and receives a glare from the pouting male. But the pout doesn’t stay on his face for long because it turns to a shy one once Wenjun has turned his gaze away from him.

“My roommate should still be home over the weekend. You can take my bed and I’ll take his.”, the taller tells him while opening the door to his room. Zhengting looks around the room after stepping inside and contrary to his expectation he finds a really chaotic looking dorm room in front of him. He tilts his head sideways in confusion. While staying at Wenjun’s parents’ house the younger has always cleaned up his room very thoroughly. He believed that Wenjun was just like him a very neat person but seeing the clothes lying spread out all over the place and the chaotic state the room is in right now he starts having doubts. Wenjun scratches his head in embarrassment before quickly picking up the clothes from the floor and stuff them into the basket inside the bathroom. “Sorry for the mess. We were both in a hurry to leave last week.”, Zhengting hears him say from inside the bathroom and sounds of bottles being picked up and readjusted can be heard. 

The dancer stays rooted where he is standing and tries to figure out which bed is Wenjun’s. He spots the family photo and some medals on one of the nightstands and guesses that the bed next to it should be the younger’s. Contrary to the general mess the room is in the nightstand and bed are neatly organized. He lets out a small smile before walking over and sitting down on the bed. He picks up the Yo-yo he finds on the nightstand and examines it. Zhengting didn’t know that Wenjun has an interest in yo-yos. He chuckles and couldn’t help to think how Wenjun is still a kid at heart. Out of curiosity and because it’s been forever since he has played with any yo-yos he gets up and let the fancy looking yo-yo spin towards the ground. After a few spins, he has to wind the string back around the axle. Finding that kind of boring Zhengting decides to throw the yo-yo in a wider curve and almost hits the table with it.

“ZHENGTING!”, comes a loud exclamation before a hand moves into his vision to take away the yo-yo from him. He turns his head towards Wenjun who has just come back from the bathroom and watches him examining the yo-yo for any damage. There is worry and also a bit of furry inside Wenjun’s eyes and Zhengting doesn’t know why he is reacting like this when it is merely a cheap toy. Wenjun lets out a sigh of relief when he finds his yo-yo has not gotten damaged. He winds up the string before securely storing it in the upper drawer of his nightstand. “You can look around but don’t touch the things in this drawer.”, the younger tells him. “Why? Is that toy that important?” Zhengting furrows his eyebrows. Wenjun just simply nods but doesn’t elaborate on his answer. 

Zhengting wants to probe further into this but taking a glance on his phone shows that it’s almost time for him to meet up with Xukun. Moreover, Wenjun told him that he is also meeting up with some of his club members for the last team discussion this afternoon. He decides to leave the matter be for now but makes a mental reminder to find out why Wenjun reacted that way. 

There is an awkward atmosphere surrounding them when they both leave the apartment together. It makes Zhengting feel kind of depressed how they part ways at the entrance of the campus. He sighs and strolls towards the café not far from the campus he has decided to meet his best friend at. 

He settles into a seat further towards the back of the café and orders his drink. Zhengting lets out a long sigh and props his face between his hands. He lets his mind wander off to Wenjun wondering what he is doing now and whether he is also thinking about him. 

Zhengting is so deep in thought that he doesn’t even notice Xukun’s arrival. The younger has taken the seat opposite of him and has been calling his name repeatedly to no avail. 

Only when he nudges his shoulder lightly does the dancer startle up. “Oh, you’re here.”, he says and straightens up. Xukun doesn’t miss the gloomy mood the dancer is in which almost mirrors his own. Ziyi’s face flashes through his mind again. He presses his lips tightly against each other and shakes his head trying to push him out of his mind before refocusing his attention on Zhengting. 

“Are you alright?”, he asks concerned. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something but let’s not talk about me now. You wanted to talk, and it sounded very urgent. Did something happen?”, the dancer replies and furrows his eyebrow in worry. Even if he is smitten by Bi Wenjun and his mind preoccupied by him he still wouldn’t neglect his best friend especially not if the younger needs someone to talk to. 

He notices how Xukun is fidgeting nervously and having a hard time finding the courage to say what is on his mind. Zhengting reaches out and puts a hand over Xukun’s. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”, he says and squeezes the hand reassuringly.

_Here goes nothing._ Xukun thinks and looks up from his hands. He takes a deep breath and gathers the courage to say what he has been meaning to tell Zhengting for the longest time. 

“Zhengting, I think I like you more than just friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the next chapter :D and it's a 4AM update ...
> 
> I can't decide whether "Good Things" or "离不开" is my favourite song now that Nine Percent has dropped all 7 songs. I'm just really glad to see them being able to release their music and live their dreams (I'm kind of emotional because my sister and I just started to rewatch IPD again). 
> 
> Anyways, please let me know what you think about this chapter in the comments.


	28. Chapter 28

A pregnant silence follows. Zhengting stares dumbfoundedly at his best friend. He didn’t expect him to drop such a statement out of nowhere. “Xukun, I don’t know what to say.”, he mutters bewildered. 

“I’ve liked you since the first time we met. I’ve secretly liked you all these years but never found the courage to tell you. I was afraid to ruin our friendship.”, the younger says but then shakes his head. “No. I did. But then you started to date Yanchen and I thought I had no chance anymore. Then you announced that you two were over and it made me contemplate about this again.”, Xukun pours all the words he has kept inside his heart out in front of Zhengting. “The last few weeks have been really confusing. I think I started to develop feelings for someone else but then I remembered that I have feelings for you, too. It made me doubt myself. It made me doubt my own decisions. I really don’t know what is real and what isn’t anymore.”, he continues and locks eyes with Zhengting. “But I knew I had to tell you. Zhengting I really like you.” 

Zhengting’s gaze softens and he reaches out to wipe away the tears on Xukun’s face. “Shh, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”, he tries to calm Xukun down. “I was afraid to be too late again. You mentioned that new guy in your texts and I panicked.” Xukun is now a crying mess. He hiccups and lets Zhengting wipe his tears away. “Zhengting I really like you. More than just friends.”, he repeats. Zhengting nods acknowledging and gives him a small smile. “But I feel like there is a ‘but’ coming.”, the elder replies knowing his best friend all too well. 

Xukun returns the smile and nods slightly. “But I realized that it’s only platonically. I love you like a family member. Like an older brother.”, he continues before starting to cry again. “And now I’m too late again. I hurt his feelings and he has given up on us.”, he finishes saying before a waterfall of tears burst out and doesn’t seem to stop any time soon. 

Zhengting’s heart hurt seeing his best friend cry his heart out like this. It has to affect him a lot for him to break down in front of him like this. Xukun has always have a strong outer appearance and only on a few occasions did he let down his guard. Zhengting changes his seat to sit next to the younger and hugs him to console him. He is stroking his hair while thinking about what to do. The confession doesn’t completely surprise him. Zhengting knew about the younger’s feelings for him and deliberately didn’t address the topic. On one hand it was because he was also afraid that it would affect their friendship and on the other hand because he knew the younger too well. Zhengting knew that Xukun doesn’t have any romantic feelings for him. He was waiting for him to realize it on his own and occasionally nudged him into the right direction. Zhu Zhengting wasn’t blind, he saw Xukun’s affection for Ziyi grow day by day but what he didn’t expect was for everything to backfire like this. He sighs, it was partly his fault. If he only clarified this sooner with Xukun then they wouldn’t be where they are now. 

The dancer waits until Xukun has calmed down before he gets up to order him a hot cocoa. On his way back, he made the decision to amend the situation and help Xukun by any available means to get Ziyi back. To do that he would need him to tell him about what exactly happened between the two of them. 

Xukun mutters a thank you upon seeing the beverage in Zhengting’s hand and reaches out for the mug. He blows at it a few times to cool it down before taking a sip. Xukun takes the few tissues the elder has given him to wipe his tears and blow his nose. With the hot cocoa warming him up and him not looking like a mess anymore, Xukun feels slightly better.

“Do you feel better now?”, Zhengting asks and receives a dejected nod. “Xukun look at me.”, he then adds and waits for the younger to look up from the mug. He gives him as much time as Xukun needs and smiles ones the younger is ready. “I’m glad you told me about your feelings. And I would also like to apologize to you.”, Zhengting tells him and he hopes that Xukun won’t be mad at him for not having done this sooner. “I knew about all this. I could tell. And I guess I’m partly at fault, too. Please don’t be mad at me, I really want to make up for causing this mess.”

He can see Xukun widening his eyes in shock and a bit of realization. Zhengting swallows and for a moment he thinks Xukun is about to bolt out of the café before the younger’s body slumps against the seat again. Xukun shakes his head in slight disbelief and couldn’t help to think how foolish he must look like. 

“It’s not your fault.”, the younger sighs after a while. Zhengting’s smile reappears once he feels like Xukun is indeed not mad at him. “I just didn’t want to make it awkward between us. I was waiting for you to realize this on your own, to really fall in love with someone and see the difference between your brotherly love for me and what you feel for Ziyi.”, Zhengting says softly to test the waters. Xukun’s body stiffens once Ziyi’s name is being said. He holds himself back from starting to cry again but his mind wouldn’t stop picturing Ziyi going on that blind date Yanjun mentioned before. His date is probably someone who matches him better than Xukun will ever do and Ziyi will completely forget about him after tonight.

“Please, don’t cry again. Tell me what happened, and we can think about what to do together.”, Zhengting says but Xukun shakes his head. “It’s too late. He already moved on!” The dancer sighs and shakes his head slightly seeing how low his best friend’s confidence is right now. “How can you be so sure. Just tell me what happened first, ok?”, he tries again until Xukun gives in and tells him about Ziyi’s confession, how cold he was treating him during the shooting and the blind date the elder is supposedly going to tonight. 

“Then why did you come all the way to Hangzhou? You should have stayed in Shanghai and stopped him from going to that blind date!”, Zhengting exclaims but regrets it immediately seeing how it doesn’t help to lighten Xukun’s mood but only make the younger feel even worse. “I only realized what I truly feel for him on my way to Hangzhou. By the time I would be back to Shanghai it will already be too late anyways. What difference would it make?”, Xukun sighs out. “Xukun, do you really think Ziyi would forget about you that easily just because he’s meeting with someone he got set up with? Are his feelings for you that weak? Do you really think he is such a person because I don’t think so.”, Zhengting asks and Xukun has no way but to agree with him. Ziyi doesn’t seem like such a person. At least not the Ziyi he knows. Or at least he hopes that Ziyi won’t forget him that easily. 

“Zhengting, what should I do then?”, he asks the elder with a pout on his face. The dancer puts a reassuring hand on the younger’s shoulder. “You should not give up that easily for now. We don’t even know if what Yanjun was talking about is true.” “But it sounded...”, Xukun wants to retort but gets shushed by Zhengting. “No buts! I’ll make sure that Ziyi will be yours. And you keeping on sulking won’t be of any help. So, what you should do now is calm down and brainstorm with me on what our next step is.”, Zhengting says trying to make Xukun regain his self-confidence. “Remember you are Cai Xukun, you can do everything you’ve set your mind on.” Xukun straightens up in his seat. Zhengting is right, he won’t make Ziyi change his mind if he keeps on sulking around without any game plan. 

The next few hours are spent on discussing about what Xukun should do next. They are both glad that the outburst of emotions regarding Xukun’s platonic love for Zhengting didn’t affect their friendship. Instead it turns into an inside joke between them as they found themselves laughing and joking about it. With one less thing to worry about Xukun can now focus on the most important thing. Or person. Ziyi.

-

Ziyi marks down some review notes on a post it before he closes the file in front of him and rubs his eyes. It has been a tiring day with a never-ending pile of work waiting for him to finish. Sometimes he questions his decision to take up the position as CCO but then remembers how much he loves his job and the tiredness just disappears. This is one of those days. With the first shooting for the anniversary done, the editing and reviews of them have started and Ziyi tries to finish as much as he can before the second shooting starts next week. The results so far are very promising and there is not much to change. Feeling slightly re-energized he takes the next file from the pile and opens the corresponding files on his laptop. The photos that appear on the screens make him gasps in astonishment. He already saw the raw files on the day of the shooting but now after they have been edited they leave him speechless. Ziyi slowly skims through them. He stops at one which makes his heart skip and then stop beating. It was the one of him hovering above Xukun with their faces so close their lips almost touched. Ziyi unconsciously zooms in, his gaze observing Xukun’s expression. If he didn’t know better, he would think that the younger was anticipating the kiss. Ziyi’s gaze softens as he brushes his finger lightly across the screen as if caressing the younger’s face. He shakes his head with a bitter smile adorning his face. Even a photo of the younger has such an effect on him. Closing the files, he puts the folder away to go through them on another day. Ziyi doesn't think he would be able to go through all photos without feeling like his heart is getting stabbed after each of them. 

Leaning back against his seat Ziyi closes his eyes from being physically and emotionally exhausted. He almost drifts off into dreamland when someone knocks on his studio’s door. “Come in.”, he calls out without opening his eyes and wonders who would still be in the office this late besides him. He hears the door getting pushed open and several pair of feet walking inside. Ziyi opens his eyes to greet his visitors to see Yanjun and Jeffrey standing inside his studio. Both of them have disappointed looks on their faces before they shake their heads and go over to grab his coat and bag. “What are you two doing?”, he asks but doesn’t have the energy to stop either of them. “Did you forget? We told you we cleared your Friday night.”, Jeffrey answers as he stands next to Ziyi and waits for him to get up from his seat. Yanjun joins them, stops next to Jeffrey but leans against the wall with crossed arms and looks at him expectantly. Ziyi just stares at them. He lets out a sigh before shaking his head. He couldn’t believe that his two bros would insist on doing this. Ziyi thought he has made it clear to them how he felt about their arrangement. He knows that they mean well but he doesn’t need them to meddle in this and make it more complicated than it already is.

“Are you kidding me?”, he asks them and feels his jaw tighten. Seeing that he won’t be getting any replies any time soon he just ignores them and turns his attention back to his work. Ziyi opens the next file and wants to continue working but his view gets blocked by a folder Yanjun is holding in between the screen and Ziyi. That was the last straw. Ziyi looks up and glares at both Jeffrey and Yanjun with furiousness. He slams his hand on his desk, gets up to grab Yanjun by his collar. Yanjun just smirks at him while Jeffrey tries to pry them away from each other.

“Let’s not fight.”, the eldest says trying to reason with both of them. Ziyi tightens his hold slightly before pulling away. He turns away frustrated and runs a hand through his hair while Yanjun stays unbothered by the younger’s outburst. He straightens up and pulls at his clothes to readjust them. “Just leave, I don’t feel like entertaining you guys tonight.”, Ziyi then tells them with his whole body still turned away from them. He doesn’t need the unnecessary stress coming from them and could live without them interfering in his love life. A heavy silence follows with none of them giving in. 

A sudden knock get Jeffrey and Yanjun to turn their attention away from Ziyi and towards the entrance to the studio. Yanjun starts grinning once he spots the person stepping inside the room. “What about me?”, the man asks with a wide smile on his face. Jeffrey gasps in surprise but catches himself quickly before he turns to look at Yanjun and mouths the words ‘plan B?’. Yanjun nods with a proud grin on his face. They turn back to Ziyi who has spun around quicker than any of them could have noticed. Surprise was written all over his face making the male’s smile widen even more. “What are you doing here?”, Ziyi asks as he quickly makes his way over to wrap the other in a tight hug. “Am I not welcomed? My plane just landed two hours ago, do I have to book a return flight now?”, the other asks him playfully while returning the hug.

Jeffrey walks over to stand next to Yanjun. Both of them watch Ziyi’s interaction with the other man and couldn’t help but smile along seeing how happy their friend looks. 

-

“Are you sure you don’t need us to drop you off?”, Xukun asks Zhengting as they stand in front of the van the younger’s manager came to pick him up with. The dancer nods and reassures him once again that he will be fine walking back. “It’s not that far. Moreover, it gives me an opportunity to ask Wenjun to come pick me up.”, he adds with a wide smile, proud of his new plan. The statement makes the younger chuckle and shake his head slightly in amusement. His best friend is full of ideas and he hopes that he will also be able to help him. Zhengting leans in for a hug and once again reassured the younger to not be worried. 

He watches Xukun get inside the van and close the door behind him. Zhengting waits until the van has left before taking out his phone and sends Wenjun a message asking him whether he could pick him up. He adds the reason of him not having any keys to the dorm as an excuse for the taller to fetch him. The reply comes pretty fast and Zhengting couldn’t help but smile widely. Instead of waiting outside he decides to go inside and order something for Wenjun. The dancer stares at the long menu while standing in line and doesn’t know what Wenjun would prefer. He furrows his brows pensively. He has only seen the younger prepare coffee for him the past few days but has not seen him drink any cup himself. Zhengting isn’t sure whether Wenjun even likes coffee and contemplates to get him some tea. Then again, his family has a whole tea plantation and the tea inside the café doesn’t seem like it would be up to the plantation’s tea quality. When it is finally his turn to order he has still not decided what to pick. “What are you ordering?”, he hears Wenjun ask him and turns towards the source. He is about to ask the barista for a recommendation but seeing that Wenjun has arrived he throws that idea away, grabs the younger’s arm and loops his in excitedly. 

“I was thinking about what to get you. What do you like?”, he tilts his head while looking up at Wenjun. Wenjun blinks a few times while observing Zhengting’s expression before turning his gaze away from the elder and to the menu board. “I don’t have any preferences. I guess anything is fine.”, he then answers. Taking that as an affirmation Zhengting orders for both of them before paying and dragging Wenjun over to the pick-up counter. They leave after taking their orders and Zhengting doesn’t let go of Wenjun’s arm even for a second. On their way back to the dorm the dancer takes a few glances of the taller male walking next to him. His gaze wanders down to his arm which is still looped around Wenjun’s and notices how the taller has not make any comments about it and has also not tried to remove his arm, yet. It feels like he has accomplished to get a step closer to the taller since Wenjun seems like doesn’t mind it and Zhengting would preferable jump up in joy but stops himself to not scare the younger away.

Lying in bed later that night he keeps asking Wenjun about his tournament and doesn’t let the younger fall asleep. “Zhengting, can we talk about this tomorrow?”, Wenjuns mumbles in his half awake and half-asleep state which finally makes the elder stop with his questions. Listening to the younger’s stable breathing Zhengting finds his mind wander off to Xukun and the problem they decided to solve. They have come up with some things Xukun should try first to test the waters and see how much damage control has to be made. But Zhengting has no doubt and is confident that Xukun will win Ziyi back.

-

“I think my lazy brother is still asleep.”, Bingbing tells the blond boy who is following her upstairs. “We can just get Tinbao and leave him at home.”, the younger suggests which makes Bingbing chuckle. “You know what? I also told him yesterday that if he wouldn’t wake up in time today we will just take Tinbao and leave him.”

They arrive in front of Chengcheng’s room and Bingbing tries to open the door not caring about knocking on it first. She is his older sister, so in her opinion she doesn’t have to knock, and because it has always been like that. To her surprise the door is locked. Chengcheng would usually not lock his door so to find it locked makes both his sister and Justin who has known him for almost his whole life look at each other in utter surprise. “Fan Chengcheng! Wake up!”, Bingbing calls after turning back to face the door. They wait and hear a sound of something tumbling down to the ground before the sound of the lock getting unlocked can be heard. The door opens and a drowsy Chengcheng greets them with half opened eyes while rubbing his back. “Did you just fall off your bed?”, Bingbing asks him amused and without any hint of worry. Her brother doesn’t need to reply because just from the look on his face and the way he is rubbing his sore back she can already guess what happened.

While Chengcheng is getting ready, Justin and Bingbing have picked up Tinbao and put her inside her travel back. The cat has been behaving quite strangely the last few days and they are worried of her being ill. Bingbing was glad that they were able to get an appointment at the vet so promptly and decided to take Justin with her to ease his worry.

When she informed her brother about it he volunteered to accompany them. Chengcheng may seem like he doesn’t care much about Tinbao, especially because they always seem to bicker, but she knows that he has a soft spot for her. And even though Tinbao acts like she hates him she would always go back to his room to sleep even when she has another bed made up for her in the living room. Chengcheng would also leave his door open if he went to bed early and Tinbao has not returned to his room by that time. 

The three of them leave with Justin carrying Tinbao inside her travel bag. Li Chen, Bingbing’s fiancé, picks them up and drives them to the vet. As he has also not seen Justin for some time he keeps asking the younger about what he has been up to. Bingbing hides a grin behind her hand and turns to look out the window. Although Chengcheng pretends like he is not the least interested she could see how much the younger wanted to join the conversation but is still too stubborn to open his mouth. She thought they had made a small progress, but it seems like it will take the two more to start talking and sorting out their problems. 

Arriving in front of the veterinarian clinic they tell the two younger boys to get off the car with Tinbao first while Li Chen and Bingbing go park the car. Listening to her Chengcheng and Justin get off and carry Tinbao inside the clinic. They wait in the waiting room for their turn and Justin couldn’t help but frown in worry. Chengcheng notices the younger’s frown and nudges him slightly to get his attention. “She’s going to be alright.”, he reassures the younger. 

They get called inside and Justin opens the bag to let Tinbao out. He pets her to keep her calm while the doctor examines her. “How has her appetite been the past few days?”, she then asks. Chengcheng who has been standing further to the back to not stand in the way of her steps forward to reply. “Her appetite is usually pretty good. She always finished her bowl but the past days she has barely touched it.”

Justin looks up from Tinbao and turns his gaze towards the doctor. “Is she alright?”, he asks. The doctor notes down some things before smiling at both Justin and Chengcheng. “You two don’t have to be so worried. She caught a cold which explains the lack of appetite, the running nose and her fatigue. Moreover, it seems like she also has a slight fever. Her ears are warmer than it should be.”, the doctor explains and then teaches them what to do to help nurse Tinbao back to health. Both boys listen to her intently and are glad that it’s nothing too serious as the doctor reassures them that cats usually get well on their own within a few days. 

While waiting for Bingbing and her fiancé Li Chen who both stayed outside during the examination to get the car to go back home, Justin calls his mother to ask her to let him stay overnight. Even though the doctor’s words have lessened his worry he still wants to keep an eye on Tinbao and make sure she will get as much rest and care as she needs. He doesn’t want her to be all alone at home while Chengcheng has to leave for work. Justin has not asked the other about his schedule but from what he has observed, Chengcheng is quite busy with promoting his newly airing drama. Not that he cared about actor’s schedule or his whereabouts, he only noticed it because of the tv commercials and preview of shows the elder has gone to. The blond boy may or may not have watched the first few episodes but that may be due to the reason that there was nothing else running on the other channels during that particular time slot. And even when he decided to continue watching the drama it would only be because he likes the other lead actors and actresses. Who cares that Chengcheng has gotten better in acting and is playing his character very convincingly. Certainly not Justin Huang Minghao.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!!! And a belated Merry Christmas :D  
> I hope you guys had a great holiday season and were able to spend time with your family and friends.   
> Did you watch the year end shows? I was quite sad that Nine Percent didn't attend as a whole group but am so proud of Xukun, Ziyi, Nongnong, Zhangjing and Nex7 for being able to attend. I'm also looking forward for the Weibo Night next week as Nine Percent will finally attend a schedule as a group again.   
> I always tell my sister how spoiled we are in cpop because all our IP boys are dropping songs left and right. 2018 ended/2019 started with Nongnong's new song and Yanjun will finally (LIKE FINALLY) release a studio version of 'You' along with new songs.   
> Nine percent will also release their photobook from the shooting shown in the 离不开 MV. I hope there will be an international go so that I can get my hands on one of the copies >.<
> 
> I feel like I should spend less time on this end of the chapter rant and more on the next chapter XD 
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave a comment :3


	29. Chapter 29

That Saturday started as such a fine day. Zhengting woke up after having a very good night sleep with one of the best and sweetest dreams ever. He dreamt of going on a very romantic date with no other than the tall, handsome man he has fallen so quickly for. Wenjun took him on a cruise trip and they ended up dancing under the moonlight. Just thinking about it still makes him swoon. The two of them spend the morning having breakfast inside the younger’s dorm before getting ready and leaving to go to the badminton court where the tournament is going to be held later. Zhengting watched Wenjun warm up inside his badminton jersey and shorts which make his legs appear even longer than they already are. He couldn’t help himself from taking a few candid shots of the taller and saved them for later references. He even sent some to Xukun and ranted about Wenjun’s good looks after asking the younger whether he has started with their plan yet or not.

What Zhengting didn’t expect was to see a beautiful young woman wearing exactly the same team jersey joining him on the field. His happy smile disappeared and his mood dropped so low it could have reached hell. The dancer has no way but to watch them warm up next to each other while exchanging smiles and laughter from his seat on the side. He doesn’t know who she is but by the way she was dressed he assumes that she is most probably Wenjun’s partner. Zhengting has to admit that she is really pretty. Her long black hair got tied up into a ponytail and her moves inside the jersey in combination with the skirt she is wearing seems flawless. He couldn’t hide the slight jealousy that makes itself noticeable. Adding to his already established miserable mindset is seeing how Wenjun and the woman seeming to be really close. No, they have to be really close. From their interaction, how she reaches out to brush something from his shirt, how she hands him things without him having to ask her, from all the small things that Zhengting has observed he could tell that Wenjun and his female partner are really close. The fear that it could be his girlfriend appears and makes his insides churn in anxiety. 

His mind goes through various possible scenarios and Zhengting’s mood worsens with every scenario that ends up with them being a happy couple. He is deep in thought that he hasn’t noticed how fast time passed by and every participant has finished their warm ups.

Wenjun who has been engrossed in getting ready for the match now turns towards the bleachers to search for Zhengting. He expected to be greeted by an energetic and excited pair of eyes but only finds the older male sitting on the bench sulking. Walking over to him he leans against the railing with his arms propped on top. “What’s with the sulking face?”, he asks and watches the other startle up. “It’s nothing.”, Zhengting answers with a small smile which doesn’t reach his eyes and makes Wenjun wonder what is bothering him. “If you’re not feeling well you can go back and get some rest.”, he suggests. Zhengting seems to be contemplating about it before the elder shakes his head. “I’m fine. I want to see your match.” The younger locks eyes with him to search for any discomfort. He smiles at Zhengting when he sees that he really means it and receives what finally looks like a sincere smile back. 

With Wenjun in front of him, Zhengting relaxes as he feels slightly better and his usual cheerfulness comes back. “Are you going to cheer for me?”, the taller asks him with what Zhengting would categorize as a smirk. “Of course! You’re the only player I know.”, he retorts which raises a loud laughter from the other. Their conversation gets interrupted by a female voice calling Wenjun’s name. The taller turns his head towards the voice and signalizes that he will be there in a moment. “I’ll go now, wish me luck.” Then Wenjun turns around and jogs back to his partner who is waiting with their coach for him. Zhengting takes the chance to admire Wenjun’s back view while the other is standing with his back turned towards him. He couldn’t help but to think how much the younger reminds him of one of those manga characters. The one you would find everyone falling for. Just then the dancer finally notices just how many pairs of eyes around him are directed at him. He has never minded being the center of attention, one would even say that he loves to be the center of attention but the way those people around him are observing him with hawk’s eyes makes him kind of restless. Zhengting pulls his cap down a bit and then the hood of the shirt Wenjun has given him this morning over it to cover more of his face, hoping that none of them will recognize him. He doesn’t want to catch any unnecessary attention when the tournament should be in the focus.

With his mind preoccupied he doesn’t catch another pair of eyes watching him observantly from the court. 

-

Xukun observes his reflection in the mirror and runs a hand through his newly dyed hair. After returning to Shanghai the previous night the model has decided to change his looks. Now after the commercial for the endorsement is filmed he was free to change his hair to any color he wants to with the approval of the company. The light brown caramel color gives him an overall softer look. Satisfied with the outcome he thanks the hair stylist and gets up from his seat. He checks his phone for any new messages but didn’t receive any.

Zhengting advised him to try to subtly remind Ziyi of him and they decided for Xukun to do so by sending the other simple text messages just like the other has done before. From what Xukun knows of Ziyi’s habits the elder should be awake by this time already. He knows that the elder would still wake up early even on weekends and go to the company or even work from inside his office at home. So, having that in mind and not seeing any reply even after a few hours is a slight setback for him. Nonetheless, Xukun doesn’t let this affect his determination as he types in another message. He stares at it for a few seconds with his finger hovering above the send button before deleting the message again. It feels like it would be too soon for him to send the other another text and he is afraid to appear too obtrusive. Besides just because he hasn’t received any reply yet doesn’t mean that the CCO is ignoring him on purpose. Maybe Ziyi is too absorbed into his work to notice his message and would reply any time soon. He couldn’t help but to check his phone multiple times throughout the day in hopes to finally see a notification of the elder’s reply. 

Every time his phone lights up Xukun would jump up in excitement to be disappointed the next moment. He did receive text messages, but they were never from the person he is waiting for. With a slight pout on his face he types in a reply to keep Zhengting updated about the situation. Seeing the photos his best friend has send him makes him envious of him. 

The dancer has always been a social butterfly and attracted a lot of suitors. His friend wasn’t the type to fool around but he also had his fair share of dating experience with such a large choice of suitors as far as he knows. Only the few Zhengting cared to introduce to him could be counted as serious relationships to some extent. Yanchen was one of the few and he thought he would be the person Zhengting is going to spend the rest of his life with. Until they broke up and he found out that they were never really serious about it from the start. Wenjun though, he could tell that Zhengting’s approach is way more serious and sincerer compared to each and every guy he has had a crush on before. He really hopes that his brother like best friend will find his own happiness. At the same time, he wishes that he could have at least a small percentage of the other’s self-confidence to chase after Ziyi like Zhengting is after Wenjun. Then again, remembering the tricks he has shown him makes him shudder. Xukun isn’t the type of person to intentionally act cute in front of others. On the contrary, it makes him look all awkward and embarrassed. Even Zhengting had to admit that it doesn’t suit him the least but still encouraged him to practice and if that also doesn’t work he should do it by force. How, he really doesn’t know and doesn’t intend to ever try it out. 

Somehow Xukun finds himself arriving on the 9th floor and standing in front of Ziyi’s office. He stares at the door and ponders whether to knock on it or not. “He’s not working overtime today.”, comes a voice from behind him making him startle up. He turns around and finds Ruibin standing a few meters away from him while holding some folders in his hands. “Ah, thank you.”, Xukun mutters sheepishly. They stand in the hallway in silence until Ruibin lets out a sigh and gestures to Xukun to follow him. Walking back to his desk he tells Xukun to take a seat at the sitting area while Ziyi’s personal assistant puts away the folders he was holding before joining the younger. 

“Is there any particular reason for you to come looking for Ziyi?”, Ruibin asks. Xukun couldn’t help but feels like the other was hinting at something with his question. “I... I was just wondering whether he would be working today.” Ruibin looks like he isn’t fully satisfied with his answer but Xukun isn’t ready to reveal more, too. Seeing that he won’t get the younger to elaborate his answer makes him shake his head slightly before getting up. “Well, Ziyi won’t be coming in this weekend. Thank god he finally took some day off to rest.” The personal assistant walks back to his desk and starts to sort out the files lying spread out on it. “You can tell me your reason, I’ll forward this to him on Monday if it’s work-related.”, he then adds while shutting down his laptop. “Otherwise I will get off work now. I just came in to finish some things for him.” 

Hearing that Ziyi has decided to rest for a few days instead of overworking himself makes him smile in relief but then he starts to wonder whether there is any other reason to it. Xukun hopes he didn’t catch a cold while having no one to take care of him. “Is Ziyi perhaps ill?”, the younger asks seeing that Ruibin has put on his coat and getting ready to leave the office. The assistant turns his gaze towards him but doesn’t reply immediately. Instead it seems like the other is trying to read his mind and to assess what he means by asking the previous question. 

“I’m not sure. He suddenly texted me this morning. But ... You could go check on him.”, he then suggests carefully as they walk towards the elevators together. He takes a glimpse of the younger’s expression. Noticing how Xukun is seriously taking his suggestion into consideration makes a small smile appear on his face. “He lives all alone. Who knows what could happen if he is really feeling sick.”, the elder adds and sees a frown appear on the model’s face. Ruibin fakes a heavy-hearted sigh. “And knowing him, he would even forget to eat his meals regularly.”, the elder says and shakes his head in disapproval. 

Xukun who after listening to Ruibin’s enumeration of possibilities has become more and more worried about Ziyi. He could perfectly visualize the other fainting in his own apartment or feeling too frail to get out of bed to eat something. Ziyi has always been great when it comes to taking care of others, always being the most attentive person but would probably then neglect his own health to finish a project that is due soon. The model turns to Ruibin and nods agreeing with the other’s points. “Let’s go together.”, the younger suggests. Ruibin shakes his head apologetically. “I already have plans. And am actually already late.”, he explains as he checks the time with a glance on his watch. 

They part ways when Xukun has to get off the elevator sooner than Ruibin. The thought of visiting Ziyi stays in his mind throughout his lunch with Zhou Rui making him appear absentminded. Xukun then finally asks his friend for an advice when the other starts questioning him about what is keeping his mind occupied. “You should go.”, the elder replies without hesitation. “Zhengting would definitely agree and even urge you to if you asked him.” The younger is not even surprised that Zhou Rui already knew about the situation. Zhengting probably brought him into the loop so that the other could help him while the dancer is staying in Hangzhou. “I don’t know. What if he doesn’t want to see me?”, the younger says doubtfully while picking at his dish moving the stir-fried vegetables inside his bowl around. “Cai Xukun you won’t know if you don’t even try. Moreover, I thought you wanted to get him back. It’s the best opportunity to show him that you care about him.”, Zhou Rui encourages him. 

“You’re right.”, Xukun finally gives in. The younger’s answer makes the manager smile satisfied. “I would tell you to cook him some porridge, but your skills are even worse than Zhengting’s. So just order some as take away. We don’t really want him to get food poisoning.”, the elder adds making Xukun whine in protest. “I’m not that bad.”, he retorts with a pout on his face. 

-

Wenjun probes his hands on his knees and tries to catch his breath. The shuttle he tried to send back to the opponent team’s half of the court lies on the ground and ends the rally. Both teams were head to head with twenty points scored and the one who from then on scores a two-point lead wins the match. In this case it is the opponent team leaving Wenjun and his partner on second place. They walk towards the net to shake the other team’s hands and congratulate them on winning before they go over to their coach who speaks some words to console them. 

Wenjun’s gaze wanders over to the bleachers and finds Zhengting holding up both of his thumbs when their eyes lock. He returns the smile and takes a few steps in the dancer’s direction when he gets held back by his partner. “Our coach wants to talk to you.”, she tells him and gestures towards the mentioned man who is in a conversation with another man who he guesses is a talent scout. Wenjun turns back to her and then to Zhengting who stands leaning against the railing as if waiting for him to come over. “I’ll take care of your friend. You shouldn’t let them wait for too long.”, his partner says to reassure him. “Thank you, Xuanyi.”, the taller replies with a thankful smile and hugs her quickly before walking over to the two men waiting for him. 

She waits until his attention is solely focused on their conversion before turning around and walking towards the male who has accompanied Wenjun to the court. Xuanyi has been observing them from the moment she arrived, and she would lie if she said that she isn’t curious about Zhengting. Wenjun has mentioned him to her before which only makes her more curious. She can feel the other’s eyes fixed on her as she approaches him. 

Stopping in front of him she eyes him from head to toe. He seems to hesitate for a moment but then holds out a hand waiting for her to do the same. They shake hands, both not intimidated by the other’s firm grip. “Nice to meet you, I’m Wu Xuanyi. Wenjun is occupied right now so I’ll keep you company.” 

She takes the seat next to his and gestures for him to sit down. Zhengting takes a look at Wenjun and sees him still taking to the two men before he complies and sits down next to Xuanyi. They sit in silence for a few minutes. Usually Zhengting would have already been on best friend terms with the other by now but he is acting more reserved towards her because of the fear that Xuanyi could be Wenjun’s girlfriend. “You like him.”, the woman next to him says blatantly. The dancer’s head spins around and he stares at her with widened eyes and an opened mouth not expecting her to see through him so easily. Especially when Wenjun has been so oblivious about his approaches. She turns to him and her face doesn’t show any change of expressions upon seeing his reaction. “And so do many others.”, Xuanyi adds and turns her gaze towards the crowd of girls and boys standing not far from them. Zhengting’s gaze follows her gaze and he has to admit that the crowd of fans waiting for Wenjun could compare to many idol’s number of fans. 

“But it doesn’t matter how devoted they are in supporting him if their affections won’t be returned. So many of them are living in their delusional bubble, hoping that someday Wenjun will reciprocate their feelings.”, she sighs and turns back to observe Zhengting who swallows upon understanding her hint. His brows furrow and the churning inside his stomach makes him feel sick. Xuanyi is telling him discreetly to back off and showing him how delusional he is for thinking that Wenjun could ever feel the same way he does. 

It would probably hurt less if the female would just tell him that she is his crush’s girlfriend and tell him to forget his feelings for the other male. If it would have been anyone else Zhengting would be able to at least fight back and ask her what rights she has to talk to him like that. But there is only one conclusion he can come up with after adding everything together. Xuanyi is Wenjun’s girlfriend and as his girlfriend she has the right to defend her position. 

He hears a soft chuckle which turns into a loud laughter and looks at Xuanyi with furrowed brows. He wonders whether she is mocking him or what the reason for her laughing like this is. She wipes a tear that escaped her eyes away and fans herself to calm down. “You should have seen your face. Relax, I’m not his girlfriend. God why does everyone think we are together.”, Xuanyi says and shakes her head. Zhengting couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. He is speechless but at the same time also relieved. His body relaxes, and he unclenches his fists. He can feel his cheeks warm up and is sure that the woman beside him can see him blushing from embarrassment. She leans back against the backrest and crosses her arms with a smirk on her face. 

“You’re not?”, Zhengting hears himself ask her again to make sure that he didn’t get it wrong. “Do you want me to be his girlfriend?”, is her respond to which the dancer shakes his head immediately and vehemently. “Me neither.”, Xuanyi adds with a wink. Without Xuanyi as a threat Zhengting starts to open up to her and show his true personality. The two of them find a lot of common interests and are so deep into their conversation that they didn’t notice Wenjun has finished his with the two other men and has joined them. 

“You two get along quite well.”, he says amused while leaning against the railing opposite of them. Xuanyi slings an arm around Zhengting and pulls him closer to her. “I found a new best friend. He’s so much better than you and most importantly he understands fashion. Not like someone I know.”, she replies. Wenjun rolls his eyes at her but doesn’t take her mocking serious. He turns to look at Zhengting and his gaze softens. The elder returns the smile with the feeling of a thousand butterflies flying around inside his stomach. Xuanyi glances from Wenjun to Zhengting and back to the taller before she gets up while clearing her throat. “I feel like I’m intruding here so I will excuse myself.”, she says and walks away but not before sending Zhengting another wink. 

-

“When will you give me my phone back?”, Ziyi asks the three other males lying on the floor of the basketball court with him. He has been dragged out of his apartment early in the morning and at the same time his phone has been confiscated by them. Ziyi has only been able to send Ruibin a quick message before his phone disappeared inside Jeffrey’s pocket. The first thing the four of them did is to go the gym to work out followed by a grant lunch and ending their day out at a basketball court the other three have rented. 

“So that you can check your mails and work?”, Yanjun asks. “No way.” 

“He’s right, you’re such a workaholic. Can’t you just spend a day without thinking about work?”, Jeffrey groans and joins in to back up the singer. The fourth of them sits up and looks at Ziyi who is lying next to him before shaking his head. He gets up and holds out a hand for the elder to take and helps him get up from the floor. Ziyi watches him pick up the basketball and catches it in time when the other passes him the ball. “There seem to be a lot on your mind but it’s nothing another game cannot help with.”, the younger says with a lopsided grin which lightens the mood. Yanjun and Jeffrey also get up from the floor and stretch their limbs, getting ready for the match. “Who is going to team up together?”, Jeffrey asks no one in particular. They all exchange glances before the youngest of them walks over to Ziyi and throws an arm around him. “Me and Ziyi-ge, against you and Yanjun-ge.”, he declares confidently. 

The match ends with a tie between both teams and Yanjun is the first to bid them goodbye when he gets picked up by his manager Qin Fen and his personal assistant Dinghao. 

Then Jeffrey leaves after receiving a text message from his sister who reminded him of their dinner arrangement. The remaining two also pack up and leave the basketball court together. “Jeffrey still has my phone.”, Ziyi states and turns to the male sitting on the passenger seat with a slight frown when he remembers that Jeffrey has not given him his phone back before he left. The other turns towards him with a reassuring smile and holds up Ziyi’s phone. “Don’t worry. He gave it to me before he left.”

Ziyi reaches out to take his phone but the other beats him to it and quickly puts it back inside his pocket. “Can’t even wait for a while longer? I’ll give it back to you once we’re back inside the apartment.” Ziyi sighs but starts the engine and drives off. Deciding against going to a restaurant to have dinner as they are both drenched in sweat and not dressed properly to go dine out they change the direction to go straight back to Ziyi’s apartment. 

 

Xukun looks at the entrance of the apartment complex Ziyi is living in while holding a bag with some congee he bought on the way and another with varies packages of different types of cold medicines. He wanted to come prepared and provide the elder with what is necessary to get him back to health again. To say that his venture inside the pharmacy got slightly of out of hand is understated. The pharmacist had to stop him and explain that a lot of medicine are unsuitable to be taken at the same time and could even have some side effects which could worsen your state of health. Now standing in front of the entrance Xukun wonders how he is supposed to get inside. Ziyi has not reacted to any of his messages making him even more worried and he is fearing the worst outcome but then again, he doubts that the guard would just let him in without any prior notice. He sighs and steps inside. It wouldn’t hurt to just try his luck. 

To his surprise the guard finds his name listed on the visitors list who has access at all times. The information that Ziyi has put him on that list makes him feel all warm inside and the warmth spread up to his ears and turn them slightly red. It also sparks up his hope that the other is still feeling the same for him. 

Arriving at the floor of Ziyi’s apartment he walks towards the door and takes a deep breath to gather his determination before reaching out and rings the bell. He waits a few minutes before ringing again. Xukun frowns in worry as there is no reply and there is also no sound coming from inside. He wonders whether Ziyi is asleep or too weak and couldn’t get up to open the door. For a moment he is contemplating to go downstairs and ask the guard for some help or make an emergency call if needed. The elevator opens and two men step out of it just when he decided to go get the guard. Xukun swallows nervously as he can clearly hear and recognize one of the men’s voices being Ziyi’s. His hand clamps tightly around the bags he is carrying. Just as he has expected Ziyi turns around the corner with someone he doesn’t know walking next to him. The sight of them smiling so carefreely at each other makes him feel a wave of jealousy so intense that his body visibly takes a step backwards. Xukun couldn’t hide the shocked expression on his face fast enough when his eyes meet Ziyi’s. The other in return has one of surprise on his which quickly turns to confusion. 

“Xukun? What are you doing here?”, he asks the younger. Xukun hesitates for a moment, glancing between Ziyi and the man next to him back and forth. “I... You didn’t answer my texts and I thought you were sick.”, he then replies honestly and holds up the bags for Ziyi to take. The elder turns his gaze from him to the bags with a questioning look before remembering that he wasn’t able to check his phone the whole day because his bros took it away. Ziyi slowly reaches out and takes the bags from Xukun’s hand and looks inside to find what looks like a container with food and some medicine. He utters a thank you to the younger who looks away shyly.

“I guess I’ll leave now. You seem to be fine and you already have someone...to take care of you if you do get sick.”, Xukun mutters while looking anywhere but at Ziyi or the male next to him. The model feels so embarrassed to be standing there while Ziyi has clearly already found someone new and replaced him inside his heart. Why else would he not answer any of Xukun’s texts and even take a whole day off just to spend time with that guy. For him to be looking at Ziyi standing in front of him as healthy as ever makes Xukun feel kind of foolish. There was not a moment of doubt throughout the day in which he questioned whether the taller has really gotten sick or not. Instead he was genuinely getting sick from worry. Xukun looks at the two men standing in front of him and has to admit how well matched they are.

What he didn’t see is the confusion on the Ziyi’s face which only grows with each word coming from him. Ziyi is still too surprised to find the younger in front of his doorstep in addition to the bag he received from the him to give him any reply. His mind is wondering on why Xukun would conclude that he has fallen ill just because he hasn’t replied to any text messages. 

Seeing as there is no answer coming from the taller in front of him Xukun decides to just leave instead of staying and being the third-wheel. He says a quiet goodbye and walks pass the two men towards the elevator. If not for the nudge coming from the man next to Ziyi he would probably have been too late and missed to stop Xukun from leaving. The younger doesn’t look at him and tries to hide his face which only brings up a frown on Ziyi’s face. “What’s wrong?”, he asks softly trying not to startle him anymore. He gives the younger some time and his heart clenches in pain when Xukun finally turns around and looks at him with red and teary eyes. Ziyi couldn’t help but loosen the guard he has put up after the heart break the other has given him at the sight of the younger. He observes him and tries to decipher the reason for Xukun’s teary eyes. He takes all of the younger’s actions into account but just cannot come to any reasonable conclusion. Especially when Xukun suddenly wraps his arms around him and buries his head against his chest. Ziyi is sure he can hear the younger crying silently as his tears slowly drench his shirt.

He asks himself what could have made him come look for him and make him react so vehemently. Then everything slowly makes sense to him. Why Xukun would come to him out of everyone he knows. Why he looks so miserable. Whatever happened sure has to concern Xukun’s feelings for Zhengting and the only reason for him to go to Ziyi is because he is the only person who knows about them. The comprehension of the situation makes Ziyi smile bitterly while he lets the person he loves cry in his arms over someone else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I still haven't revealed the identity of the man who joined Ziyi, Yanjun and Jeffrey you can still try to figure out who it is until the next update ;) 
> 
> Nine Percent's photobook finally can be ordered and I have to admit I had a hard time deciding whose photo card I would like to have. The quantity of Xukun copies already reached 12 when I checked so I decided against choosing him since I don't know when the group order will be placed and most probably they will already be sold out by that time. Did any of you order the photobook too?
> 
> Please feel free to leave some comments and I'll make sure to reply to them~


	30. Chapter 30

In retrospect he should have taken his car this morning instead of asking for his manager to pick him up. With his car he would already be at home and probably asleep after the physically tiring day he spent with the others. Instead he is sitting inside the van waiting for Qin Fen and Dinghao as they have stopped by the company to pick up his amended schedule for the next week. Yanjun yawns sleepily and looks out of the window. He catches the sight of his manager and his assistant coming out of IP Corp. together and urges them in his mind to hurry up, so he can finally go home, take a long shower and let his tired body fall onto his soft bed. To his dismay the two of them stop in front of the entrance to talk to someone he cannot see clearly due to the angle from where the van is parked. 

The singer couldn’t help but to question them once they get inside the van about who they were talking to that they dared to cause the delay of what felt like an hour to him but were merely minutes. “We met Zhangjing on our way out and offered to drop him off, but he declined.”, Dinghao answers him while Qin Fen starts the van and drives towards the exit of the parking lot. Yanjun straightens slightly while pretending to be disinterested when he hears Zhangjing’s name being mentioned. “Why?”, he asks. “Obviously because we didn’t want him to have to take the subway and his home is on the way anyways.”, his manager replies and rolls his eyes at the question. “No, I mean why did he decline then?”, the singer elaborates on his question. “Well he said someone, that is most probably you, would be against it.”, his manager explains. Yanjun gasps appalled before pressing his lips tightly against each other in deep thought. 

He really couldn’t understand You Zhangjing. Who would decline such a nice offer? Especially when Yanjun himself is inside the van. Shouldn’t someone with a crush on him take every opportunity they can get to try getting closer to him? He also cannot understand why the other male would think he would be against it. Yanjun thought he made it clear that he now regards him as a friend. Maybe it’s not exactly what Zhangjing wants but he should be glad to have come so far. 

They pass by “Next station: happiness” when the singer suddenly tells his manager to stop the van. The elder gets startled but still manages to safely stop the vehicle in front of the café. “What the hell Lin Yanjun?! We could have easily gotten in an accident. You could have told me you want to stop by earlier.”, his manager exclaims but his words don’t seem to reach Yanjun. Qin Fen calls his name a few more times and observes him through the rear-view mirror but still doesn’t get any response. He follows the singer’s gaze out the window and spots You Zhangjing happily munching on some pastries inside the café. Before either him or Dinghao could stop him, Yanjun has already exited the van and is walking towards the entrance with a rather grim face. They decide to park the van and quickly follow him afraid Yanjun would start what they would have to clean up afterwards.

Meanwhile, Yanjun has entered the café and is walking towards Zhangjing who is unaware of the other’s presence. He sits down on the chair opposite of the elder and stares at him making Zhangjing choke on his pastry upon spotting him. He coughs a few times and takes a sip of his beverage before finally calming down from the shock. Yanjun calmly crosses his arms in front of his chest and looks at him with a judging glare. “What?”, the elder asks him not understanding the other’s action. 

At first Yanjun wanted to keep silent and bask in the sight of the riled-up singer opposite of him but then couldn’t hold himself back. “So, that’s why you declined their offer. And you even had the nerve to push all the blame on me.”, he answers with a smirk that shows more of how angered he is than amused. 

He watches Zhangjing’s irritated face turns pale. Dinghao and Qin Fen have entered the café and stop at their table before he can say anything else and tug at him to leave with them. Yanjun gets up from his seat but stays rooted. “Oh Zhangjing, I heard you were on your way home. Let us give you a ride.”, Yanjun then says in the most sickening sweet voice his manager has ever heard him use. Zhangjing shakes his head ready to decline again but halts midway as the younger’s piercing gaze makes him shudder. “No, really I don’t mind. I’ll wait in the van.”, Yanjun adds and gestures for him to follow him before walking pass Dinghao and Qin Fen towards the entrance. Qin Fen follows him to open the van for him while Dinghao huffs irritated. “He always does whatever he wants. Zhangjing don’t mind him.”

The elder’s body relaxes as he lets out a sigh of relief. He picks up his half-eaten pastry and finishes it in one go before taking the plate with the other pastries he has ordered to ask the barista at the counter to pack it up for him. Zhangjing really intended to just go home but when he passed by the café a whiff of the delicious pastries hit him and he just couldn’t resist. It was already wrong for him to go against the instructions given to him to keep an eye on his diet. It is clearly stated that Zhangjing should eat less food which are rich in calories, but the temptation got the better of him. Now he has to face a grumpy Lin Yanjun, too. He lets out another sigh.

An idea pops up in his head and he hopes that it will work. He scans the menu and orders an iced coffee and a piece of the cake he knows Yanjun loves remembering how they have fought for it on their first meeting. With his order in hand, Zhangjing leaves the café with Dinghao walking next to him. “Were those pastries you had not enough or why did you order another piece of cake?”, the younger asks eyeing the bags he is holding. “The cake and the coffee are not for me.”, he replies mysteriously which doesn’t quench Dinghao’s curiosity. They arrive in front of the van and Zhangjing spots the frowning singer sitting with his arms crossed when he opens the door. He gets inside quickly and takes the available seat next to him before Dinghao closes the door and gets into the passenger seat in front of him. 

Zhangjing silently puts the cup of iced coffee into Yanjun’s cup holder and carefully places the bag with the cake on his lap. Yanjun’s gaze turns away from the window and down to the bag lying on his lap with a raised eyebrow. He glances towards Zhangjing who is now in a conversation with Dinghao before looking at the bag again. He uncrosses his arms and opens the bag to check its content when his curiosity takes over. Yanjun is pleasingly surprised about what he finds lying inside. “Is this for me?”, he asks without lifting his head catching the attention of the three other men inside the van. “If you don’t want it I can take it back.”, Zhangjing replies and reaches out to take the bag away when Yanjun looks up and smiles at him with a dazzling smile making his dimples appear and startling Zhangjing. Yanjun’s eyes beams with joy when he notices the iced coffee the elder has put into his cup holder. Zhangjing couldn’t help but to think how easy it is to please the usually moody singer. 

“This too?”, the younger asks him and his smile only widens when he receives the confirming nod from him. Zhangjing watches him unpack the bag, taking out the cake and the plastic fork the barista has added and starts eating appreciatively. He has to admit that Lin Yanjun looks like a small puppy who is waggling his tail in happiness like this and he has to hold himself back from patting the taller’s head. The younger singer sends him another of his dazzling smiles and mutters what sounds like a ‘thank you’. Being on the receiving end of Yanjun’s smiles several times up close makes Zhangjing suddenly understand why so many people are head over heels for him as he himself feels a blush appear on his cheeks and quickly turns away to not let the other notice the effect he has on him. 

-

The sound of the water kettle can be heard throughout the silent apartment as Xukun watches Ziyi move around his kitchen. He really didn’t want to burst out in tears, especially not in front of Ziyi but he couldn’t hold his tears back seeing what he has been fearing coming true. Ziyi has let him cry in his arms until he has relatively calmed down. By then he couldn’t spot the man Ziyi has come back with in the hallway anymore. The elder has led him inside his apartment and told him to take a seat on his couch before he went over to his kitchen aisle to prepare something for him to drink. Xukun looks around his apartment with his still puffy eyes and hugs one of the throw pillows he found lying next to him. He perceives the smell of grounded coffee beans that fills the air and turns his attention to the cup filled with what seems to be coffee that Ziyi is placing on the table in front of him. 

“Thank you.”, Xukun utters and lifts the cup up to take a sip. “Be careful it’s still hot.”, he hears the elder warn him with worry in his voice. Xukun nods and gives him a small smile before blowing on the drink to cool it down. Ziyi has taken the seat on the other side of the couch and he can feel him observing him. 

The elder tries to assess whether he should address the issue or give Xukun more time first. After a few minutes he concludes that the younger has calmed down and his emotions seem to be stable. “Did you talk to Zhengting?”, Ziyi carefully asks and receives a nod from Xukun which confirms his prior assumption. “Is that why you came here? You need someone to talk to about it?” He tries to keep his words as neutral as possible, but his voice wavers and he has to swallow down the bitterness that makes itself noticeable. Xukun turns his head to look at Ziyi and there is something in his eyes that confuses him. His eyes are still lightly red and puffy from crying but Ziyi doesn’t find any hint of sadness at the mention of the dancer’s name. On the contrary, Xukun seems to be content about the results which doesn’t make sense to him. Why would the younger come crying to him seeking for someone to talk to when his confrontation was to his satisfaction. 

Ziyi flinches slightly in surprise when he suddenly feels his hand being held before his attention falls onto Xukun who has moved closer to him. He stays rooted without moving, too surprised and confused about the whole situation to react. His gaze stays on Xukun’s hand whose touch starts to burn on his skin the longer he lets him hold his hand. Ziyi slowly retracts his hand from the younger’s hold to run it through his hair as he looks away awkwardly and misses the crestfallen look on Xukun’s face. There has not been a moment he has spent with the other and felt this awkwardness between them before but that was when he thought he still stood a chance while now the situation has completely changed. 

He lets out a loud sigh. “Xukun, I’ll listen to whatever you have to say but don’t you think it’s unfair of you to act like this when you know that I still like you and your words will probably rub more salt into my open wound?” Ziyi closes his eyes to not show the younger how much more affected he is. 

On the other hand, Xukun feels the little hope that is left spark up again hearing Ziyi say that he still likes him. He reaches out once again but then suppresses the urge to have some kind of physical contact with Ziyi for now seeing how pained the elder looks. “I went and met up with Zhengting.”, Xukun starts and observes Ziyi who nods to show that he is listening. “I told him. About my feelings. How I felt about him.”, he continues and sees Ziyi’s jaw tightens in discomfort. The younger is torn between happy and hurt at the sight. Happy because he can see that Ziyi still cares about him and as he said so himself most probably still likes him and hurt because he doesn’t ever want to see Ziyi like this ever again. Especially not if he is the cause for the other’s pain. 

“And I realized that what I felt for him was all platonic. I love him, but it’s more like how you love a brother.” It takes Ziyi a few moments to process Xukun’s words. He has not expected this turn of events. Or rather he couldn’t really believe this sudden change. Xukun has been bothered by his feelings for Zhengting ever since he has met and got closer to him. It has not been a long time, barely a week, from when Ziyi confessed to him, to him going to confront the dancer with his feelings and all of a sudden Xukun has realized that he didn’t feel for Zhengting the way he thought he felt? Somehow Ziyi doubts it to be the truth. 

He turns and looks at him for the first time since Xukun has started to talk and searches for any hint of a lie but is met with sincere eyes. 

“Is this the truth?”, he brings himself to ask to which Xukun immediately nods without breaking their eye contact. Ziyi’s body unconsciously relaxes after getting the confirmation from the younger. He takes a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding in. He is glad Xukun came clean with his own feelings, but it still doesn’t mean that the younger would reconsider his confession. Then Ziyi remembers how the other was in tears before and couldn’t understand what could have made him so sad if he has clarified everything with Zhengting. He doesn’t take the dancer for someone who would hold it against his best friend so them getting into a fight seems unlikely to him. Ziyi cannot come up with any plausible reason and it worries him that something else is bothering the younger. 

“Why were you crying then? Did you and Zhengting fight?”, Ziyi asks him confused. Xukun shakes his head and if Ziyi’s eyes didn’t play any tricks on him he could swear he saw him blush. The younger looks away and plays with the hem of his shirt nervously. “No, we calmly talked about it. It turned out he already knew. But that’s also not the reason.” Ziyi nods slightly but even with the reply his main question is more or less left unanswered. “Is there something else bothering you?”, the elder finally asks after contemplating about whether he should or not since he is in no position to meddle with Xukun’s life. He would rather have a clean break like what he has decided the moment the younger didn’t reciprocate his feelings on. But Ziyi just couldn’t harden his heart at the sight of Xukun’s sad and teary eyes. He is still weak for him and he hopes it won’t backfire on him later. 

Xukun takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and to gather the courage he needs to confess. “I ... realized something else too.” His heart starts to beat faster and his hands dampen the closer he gets to convey his feelings to the elder. “Ziyi, I...”, Xukun says but his words get interrupted by the sound of something dropping against the floor. They both turn towards the source of the sound and spot the man who he has met outside Ziyi’s apartment bending down to quickly pick up his phone. “Don’t mind me. I was just getting something to drink. Please continue.”, the other gestures and turns towards the kitchen aisle and grabs one of the mugs to fill it with water. Xukun’s jaw drops slightly in disbelief seeing him inside the apartment looking like he just came out of the shower with water still dripping from his hair. He thought the man has left when he was distracted from crying before so he didn’t expect to find him walking around so comfortably like he owns it. 

Xukun’s eyebrows furrow to a frown. The question of who that man is comes back into his mind. With regards to how the other behaves he could only come to one conclusion and he doesn’t like it. He knows he should just ask Ziyi instead of pondering about his relationship with the stranger but the younger has lost his courage the moment the other man appeared and interrupted them. It would be too much for him to handle if Ziyi’s answer would confirm his assumption. He would rather not know and keep the small glimmer than get rejected in front of his love rival. 

He swallows and gets up from the couch to walk towards the entrance to leave suddenly feeling suffocated by the whole situation but gets stopped once again by Ziyi. “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly leaving?”, the elder asks him but he doesn’t reply. Xukun tries to break free from Ziyi’s grip which only makes him hold on to him tighter determined to get to the bottom of this. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”, Ziyi keeps telling him trying to reassure Xukun and persuade him. The more the younger tries to get away the more he wants to know the reason and he wouldn’t give in until he gets an answer. “Let me go!”, Xukun fights back. Ziyi’s level of frustration increases and his patience slowly but surely runs short until he finally snaps. “Cai Xukun what is wrong with you?! You come here all of a sudden and now you want to leave without clarifying anything?” Seeing the younger’s shocked expression makes him regret his reaction immediately. He loosens his hold on him once he feels Xukun has given up on running away. 

Ziyi sighs, apologizes and lets go of him. He turns away and takes a step back to calm himself down. He never wanted to let Xukun see this side of him, but everything is adding up. Is it too much of him to ask for an answer so that he can put a clear end to all of this. 

“I realized I like you. But ... you already moved on.”, Xukun mutters in a whisper when the silence between them becomes too stifling. 

A pregnant silence follows, and it takes Ziyi a few moments for the younger’s words to sink in. He spins his head around with wide eyes upon realizing what Xukun has just said. His mouth drops slightly in surprise and he asks himself whether he has misheard or misunderstood anything. Ziyi searches for any hidden meaning afraid to crow too soon but is met with Xukun’s sincere doe eyes looking back at him. “What did you say?”, he asks still in slight disbelief. “I realized I liked you more than a friend. Ziyi I like you the same way you like me.”, comes Xukun’s reply with more confidence and without any hint of hesitation this time. The elder blinks and his heart starts beating faster in excitement. From so many things he didn’t expect to suddenly get confessed to. Especially not after getting rejected by the same person. 

“Or liked.”, Xukun adds and Ziyi notices how some tears are threatening to roll down the other’s soft cheeks. He unconsciously lifts his hands to caress them and notices how much he has missed being this close to the younger. “Why would you say that?”, Ziyi leans in closer and asks after locking eyes with Xukun. The younger’s cheeks redden slightly upon realizing their closeness which he has started to miss. 

“Yanjun told me that they have set up a blind date for you. And I assume your date is the person I saw earlier.”, Xukun replies with a pout and Ziyi has to hold himself back from leaning in and planting a kiss on the younger’s lips. Instead he thinks about who Xukun could be talking about and almost bursts into a loud laughter when he realizes who he meant. An amused smile still escapes and appears on his face. “Let me introduce you two.”, Ziyi says before taking Xukun’s hand and leading him back inside the living room. He tells him to wait there for him while he leaves to call the other who has disappeared back into the guest room to join them. 

Xukun listens to him and stays there obediently. He would still be unwilling to meet the other man if it were not because of how Ziyi reacted. The possibility of him misunderstanding the whole situation or Yanjun having lied to him about the blind date appears and he comes to the conclusion that he should stay in case of doubt. The elder comes back with the other tall male following him. Both of them have amused smiles which almost resemble each other on their faces. They sit down next to each other and turn to face him. “Kunkun take a good look of us.”, Ziyi tells him and Xukun’s heart makes a little leap out of joy when he hears the elder calling him by the nickname he has given him again. 

Doing as he has been told the model finds a lot of similarities between the two taller males. From the shape of their faces to the hairstyle everything seems to resemble each other even though he couldn’t say that they were exactly the same. Ziyi has a more chiseled jawline while the other male’s face structure is slightly softer. Xukun tilts his head in confusion. The other man chuckles seeing his reaction and holds out one of his hands. “Maybe I should have done this sooner. I’m Dylan.”, he introduces himself cheerfully. Xukun hesitates at first but seeing Ziyi’s encouraging look he finally reaches out and shakes it. “Or you can also call me Wang Hedi.”, the other adds with a wink and Xukun only nods acknowledging still not understanding why he needed to add it. 

“He’s my younger brother.”, Ziyi comments still amused about the whole situation while observing the younger’s expression change from confusion to comprehension. “You mean like blood related younger brother?”, Xukun asks while pointing from one to the other Wang sibling. Both of them nod in sync and if one has not seen their similarities before they would definitely realize it by now. Xukun feels his cheek warm up in embarrassment. He couldn’t believe that he mistook Ziyi’s own brother to be his lover. At this very moment he wishes for the ground to open up and swallow him so that he could hide from them. Instead he tries to hide behind the throw pillow lying next to him which only makes the other two males more amused. Ziyi then finally ends the younger’s misery by sending his brother back inside the guest room. The younger Wang playfully remarks how he is getting used and thrown away before giving in and leaves to give the other two some alone time. 

Ziyi carefully pulls the pillow away to uncover the red-faced model hiding behind it. He couldn’t help but to swoon over Xukun’s cuteness. “There was no blind date then?”, he hears the younger asks and nods in confirmation. “They did plan on setting me up but I was against it.” Ziyi adds and gives him a moment to progress everything before asking the question that has been lingering in his mind for a while now since he has found out Xukun likes him back. “So, what are we going to do about this new development?” Xukun looks at him with a hopeful gaze as his fear got eliminated and he can spot the chance he knows he shouldn’t let slip out of his grasp this time. “Can you give us another chance?”, the younger asks and unconsciously holds his breath waiting for an answer.

Ziyi as resolute as he usually is finds himself giving in as long as it concerns Xukun. He felt delighted to find out that his feelings were not unrequited and that he wasn’t wrong when he thought he could see there was something between them. His gaze softens as he agrees and watches Xukun’s tense body relaxes in relief. Ziyi hopes that he has made the right decision but from the way the younger lights up in happiness he knows that he won’t regret it no matter what is going to happen in the future. 

-

If a gaze could pierce through a person Wenjun would have been pierced a thousand times by Zhengting’s gaze already. The taller looks up from his dinner with a questioning look and right into the eyes of the dancer sitting on the other side of the table who has been staring at him for some time with his own dinner lying almost untouched in front of him. “Do I have something on my face or why do you keep staring at me?”, he finally asks when the other doesn’t give him any reaction and touches his own face to see whether he accidentally got any food on himself but doesn’t find anything wrong. Zhengting seems to be far away with his thoughts as he still doesn’t react even when Wenjun is talking to him. Wenjun frowns worriedly when the elder suddenly starts giggling. He reaches out to shake his shoulder which finally gets Zhengting to wake up from another of his day dreams. His face turns beet red when he realizes what has just happened and quickly turns away and gives his attention on his almost forgotten food. 

“Are you alright?”, the younger asks finding Zhengting’s behavior questionable. The dancer almost chokes on his food which he was shoving down nervously to avoid answering the younger’s question. How was he supposed to tell him that he was admiring his features and started to picture their future. He’s thick skinned but he still has his pride and even though he is currently the one chasing after Wenjun he would still want the other to be the person to confess first. Zhengting believes that the person who confesses first will loose the upper hand in the relationship and he doesn’t want to be that person. He wants Wenjun to be so in love with him that he would give in to any of his wishes. 

With this as his goal he has no other choice but to stay patient and wait for the taller to fall head over heels for him. Zhengting is glad that Wenjun quickly loses interest in finding out the reason for his absentmindedness. They finish their dinner which he insists on paying for as a kind of celebration for Wenjun’s well deserved second place. Besides he is overjoyed to be able to spend some alone time with him. Wenjun actually was supposed to join his coach, Xuanyi and some other members of the badminton club for dinner but declined because he didn’t want to leave Zhengting alone and didn’t know whether the elder would be comfortable in joining their group. Even if he is on vacation right now Zhengting still has a well-earned reputation and after gaining so much attention during the match people started to recognize him. Wenjun accidentally overheard a conversation between some of his club members who were talking about the dancer and decided that he wouldn’t let Zhengting’s private vacation get disturbed by them. He should be able to keep his privacy and get away from all the bustling people he is sure usually swarm around him for once. That’s how they end up strolling around the street together. Wenjun would have never expected to feel this comfortable around Zhengting. At first, he found him just very ... loud. But the list of adjectives describing the very being walking next to him keeps on getting longer and longer. He turns to look at Zhengting who has stopped and excitedly tries to persuade him to go to the shooting booth because he has spotted a plush toy he wants. Wenjun watches him tug at his sleeve while listing all the aspects as to why they should go there. The dancer ends his reasoning with tilting his head to the side and giving him his most endearing look. He doesn’t know when he has agreed but the next moment he finds himself getting dragged to the shooting booth. 

To Zhengting’s disappointment he doesn’t win the desired plushie as he misses some points and sulks as he receives his consolation prize. Wenjun doesn’t understand why he would be so sad about getting the other prize. It doesn’t look too bad but Zhengting keeps complaining and whining about how ugly it is compared to the panda plushie he wanted. They walk further away from the shooting booth when the elder declares that he needs to use the restroom. He thrusts the Dalmatian plushie into Wenjun’s arms before running towards one of the shops to use their guest restroom. The taller stares at the soft toy in his arms, turning it from side to side and has to agree with Zhengting that up close it is indeed not as cute as the panda. He keeps staring at it blankly before turning around and walking back to the shooting booth with the plush toy under his arm. 

When Zhengting returns and doesn’t find Wenjun the first thing that comes into his mind was to go search for him, but he quickly decides against it afraid that Wenjun would come back to find him missing. Instead he fishes out his phone to send the other a message asking him where he has gone to before waiting for him with a visible pout. Zhengting is absentmindedly staring at the ground when he catches the sight of the panda plushie he so desperately wanted to win. He looks up to find no other than Bi Wenjun standing in front of him and holding the plush toy out for him to take. His eyes light up and he reaches out to wrap his arms around the plushie and take it from the taller. He couldn’t believe that Wenjun has gone out of his way to win it for him. The dancer hugs it tightly, his face buried inside the soft fur and he glances shyly at the younger who is looking away nonchalantly. 

“Thank you”, he says before getting on his toes to give the taller a peck on his cheek. Wenjun gets caught off guard by the sudden kiss and widens his eyes in shock. He blinks startled before turning towards Zhengting. His mouth opens and closes, wanting to ask the other for the reason but couldn’t form any comprehensible words. It is as if his mind has short circuited and is barely functioning. Zhengting chuckles amused before linking one of his arms through Wenjun’s and pulls him with him as if nothing has happened.

For the rest of the night he lets Zhengting decide on where they are going with him following the elder unquestioningly. His mind is still trying to process the other’s unexpected action. He wonders whether Zhengting would usually show his gratitude like this or whether he is the only exception. Wenjun’s head starts to ache just from thinking about it. Especiallywhen he just couldn’t figure out why his heart starts to beat faster every time he looks at Zhengting longer than a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit it wasn't fair to let you guys guess who the man was when Dylan actually has no connection to Idol Producer. To those who are waiting for Xiao Gui to appear, I have his appearance planned and he will definitely be part of the story. 
> 
> As always please feel free to leave a comment ~


	31. Chapter 31

Lin Yanjun wouldn’t say that he is late, but he is damn late. The recording he went to had some technical problems and they have already contemplated to reschedule instead of wasting their time there waiting for the issue to be cleared. When the cast was already ready to leave, the production team came running over in a hurry to inform them that they have fixed everything and are ready to record the show. Taking into consideration that rescheduling would result various kinds of effort and expenditure from the side of the production and probably some schedule problems, most of the cast decided to stay and go forward with the filming. Would he have had some other schedule demanding his timely appearance Yanjun would have declined, too. But seeing as it was only an internal schedule and postponing or rescheduling comes with less hassle they decided to stay. He believed his manager would have handled everything just to be informed that rescheduling or postponing his dance lesson with Zhangjing wasn’t possible due to his already tight schedule and that he would have to come back to the company after the recording is done. 

Yanjun doesn’t think Zhangjing would even be inside the practice room but as it is his responsibility and with Ziyi’s promise in the back of his mind he decides to at least check before heading home. The singer walks towards the dance practice room with two cups of coffee and some pastries Dinghao has gotten him and which he plans to use to sooth his trainee’s mood if needed. Surprised to find music blasting through the speakers inside the room he takes a glance inside to find his cousin Lin Chaoze going through some dance routine with Zhangjing watching him from the side. The dancer stops once he spots him lurking at the doorstep. “Come inside, why are you standing there?”, his cousin asks while he turns the music off. 

Yanjun cleans his throat and straightens up before coolly stepping inside. “If I knew you took over I wouldn’t have needed to come back and went straight home.”, he comments. Chaoze huffs and rolls his eyes in annoyance. “I dismissed Zhengting’s class earlier today and just wanted to stop by to check on you two. With your clashing characters it wouldn’t be too farfetched to be scared to find either of you killed by the other one.”, the younger comments as he walks over to his cousin wanting to take one of the two cups the other is holding. Yanjun who already guessed what Chaoze is trying to achieve holds the cups out of his reach. “These aren’t for you.” 

“Come one, you wouldn’t be able to finish both anyway.”, the dancer tries to persuade him but his attempts all fail. The singer steps around his cousin to walk over to Zhangjing who has been watching their interaction amusedly. “And for your information, we get along quite well.” Yanjun stops in front of Zhangjing and holds the beverages out for him to pick one out of the two. Zhangjing gasps in surprise not expecting the usually self-centered Lin Yanjun to offer him what looks and smells like coffee. He hesitates at first unsure whether it’s a trap and will backfire on him later but feeling the piercing eyes of the silver haired male on him he quickly picks one and takes a step back to get away from him. Zhangjing may possibly faint any second when he realizes how Yanjun has suddenly taken his hand to wrap it around the bag he was holding. His stare lingers on the paper bag. He doesn’t dare to open it because he knows he wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation and fall back into his old habits instead of dieting like he was told to. 

He pouts, sad to have to pass what he knows will definitely taste heavenly. Zhangjing gulps and closes his eyes before holding the bag out to Yanjun again. “Take it back. I don’t want it” Both Chaoze and Yanjun widen their eyes not believing what they are seeing. “I’m on a diet”, he adds and thrusts the bag into the other singer’s arms. Chaoze’s jaw drops. Never would he have imagined hearing those words come out of his best friends own mouth. “Who are you and what did you do to You Zhangjing?!”, he exclaims before rushing over to check the elder for any hint of a fever. 

“The anniversary event is coming closer and I have to lose some of the excess kilos to look my best!” Chaoze lets out a loud sigh, disappointed to find his best friend doubting his own looks once again. “Seriously, whoever told you this is stupid. You don’t have to do anything. I bet the fans will love your chubby cheeks. They are adorable.”, he tries to cheer the elder up and Yanjun couldn’t help but to agree with Chaoze’s points. As someone who has been in this industry he knows how the minds of the audience work. Of course, if you have extra ordinary looks you will be noticed faster but on the downside, you will be mostly known for your appearance and not your talent. Yanjun could call himself lucky to have inherited his family’s good genes. It wasn’t difficult for him to gain popularity through his good looks but to be where he is now took him a lot more. He worked days and night on songs, changing things and even discarding those he deemed imperfect to get the public to acknowledge his talent. 

Truth to be told, he doesn’t know whether Zhangjing could sing or not, but he trusts his company’s eyesight and especially Ziyi’s. If they have signed him, they would have to see some potential in him that may not be obvious to everyone from the beginning. 

“I hate to say this but Chaoze is right. Don’t try to be someone else but try to find what fits you the best. Only if you’re genuine to yourself and your fans will they stay and keep supporting you.”

Both Zhangjing and Chaoze turn towards Yanjun with amazed looks, not expecting him to say such wise words. “What?”, the singer asks them seeing their astonished expressions. “So, you do know how to be nice sometimes.”, Chaoze blurts out making the taller roll his eyes. “When am I not nice?”, he retorts and crosses his arms in front of his chest waiting and challenging the two opposite of him to say anything differently. They stare disbelievingly at him before simultaneously turn away and ignore his huffs. 

It seems like the issue has been resolved as Zhangjing happily accepts the pastries from Yanjun this time. Instead of continuing the dance practice session they have settled on the floor inside the practice room. The silver haired singer watches his cousin and the other singer chat animatedly while the later munches on the pastries. A lopsided smile appears on his face as he feels some kind of satisfaction and accomplishment in seeing Zhangjing eat so happily. Catching himself acting so strangely he diverts his attention away from staring at the other towards his phone. Yanjun checks his social media accounts for anything interesting when he notices the amount of posts his fans have him tagged in. Curious about the hot topic they are discussing about, he clicks on one of them and reads through the post.

His eyes widen slightly as he quickly opens the attached photos and even zooms in to have a better look of what was displayed. Yanjun checks a few more posts to make sure that the first one wasn’t fabricated by the fan to find them all matching. 

His grip on his phone tightens. How was he so blind and didn’t see what has been in front of him all the time. He couldn’t help but be angry at himself but at the same time also angry about the fact that it has been kept from him when the other knew how much he likes azorachin. Yanjun turns his now fierce gaze towards the source of his anger which gives the other the shivers. 

“Why is it suddenly so cold?”, Chaoze asks no one in particular and rubs his arms while looking around trying to find out where the icy blast was coming from. He halts when his eyes meet Yanjun’s and another shiver runs down his spine. “When did you plan on telling me?”, the taller asks. “What are you talking about?”, Chaoze answers not understanding what his cousin means with his sudden question. “You’ve been friends with azorachin for so long and it never crossed your mind to tell me about it?”, comes his reply in the form of another question. Yanjun gets up from where he is sitting to walk over to the other two and holds his phone out pointing at the posts displayed on it. “I have to be informed by my fans instead.”

Chaoze takes a glance at the phone’s display before shrugging nonchalantly. “Well, you never asked. It’s not like I was hiding it. You could have gone through the list of people he is following.” His answer feels like a slap against the tall singer’s face. He asks himself why he has never gotten the idea to just go through the people his idol is following. Yanjun lingers on the thought for a few moments before deciding that it’s too late to rethink his stupidity. His attention goes back to the dancer and a scheming smirk appears on his handsome face. “No. Oh no, definitely not.” Before he can even utter his request his cousin already ruined everything by declining. “You don’t even know what I wanted to say!”, Yanjun replies and it almost sounds like a whine but he would deny it if someone would confront him about it. 

“No, you cannot get his phone number.”, Chaoze adds with a slight glance towards Zhangjing who has been watching them silently afraid that any comment would reveal his identity in front of his self-declared no. 1 fan. The two cousins quarrel over the matter until the silver haired male’s eyes wander off to him and making him swallow nervously. “Wait a moment...!” Yanjun’s eyes wander to and fro between him and Chaoze. “You’re azorachin’s best friend. And Zhangjing is your best friend...”, the taller mutters in concentration while trying to find what is connecting his two statements. His eyes light up as he finds it. 

“Does that mean you’re also best friends with azorachin?! Oh my god, why does every person I know either have met him or is somehow acquainted with him while I have not even seen his shadow?” Zhangjing just stares at him disbelievingly. For a moment he thought the other has found out who he is. Not that he minded since it will be revealed in about five weeks during the anniversary festival anyways. But more than that he is nervous about Yanjun’s reaction because compared to the others who know about his identity, Yanjun is the only one who has claimed to be his long-time hard-core fan and Zhangjing is afraid to disappoint him. His fan. Maybe he is overthinking everything but he is projecting his fear and the possible reaction from Yanjun to all of his fans. 

“You Zhangjing, I’m asking you, do you know him, too?”, the singer snaps his fingers in front of Zhangjing to wake him from his absentmindedness. The other jolts slightly before noticing the closeness between them as Yanjun has leaned in to examine him. Next to him Chaoze is chuckling amused about the absurdity of the situation. “Actually, Zhangjing knows him the best out of everyone.”, the dancer states as a matter of fact and couldn’t hold himself back from bursting out into laughter when he sees his best friend’s devastated reaction. Yanjun’s eyes light up with glee like a child seeing his presents on Christmas Day, the feeling of betrayal quickly forgotten. 

Zhangjing swallows as he stares into the scheming face of Lin Yanjun. A cold shudder runs down his back. Chaoze should better watch out because he is so going to kill him. 

-

Zhengting snuggles against the broad shoulder of Wenjun while pretending to have fallen asleep on their way back to the village. In his arms he holds the panda plushie the taller has won for him and which is now his favorite out of all plush toys he owns. 

The Sunday was less eventful compared to the day before. They slept in and met up with Xuanyi for lunch who kept sending him knowing glances. Zhengting is glad Wenjun is too dense to have noticed them but it also frustrates him to no end because how much more obvious should he be for the other to get his advantages? On the brighter side, he gets to at least lean on the other’s shoulders and snuggle against him.

Feeling the bus getting to a halt he slowly opens his eyes and pretends to have just woken up from his nap. “Did we arrive?”, he mutters, turning his head towards Wenjun and rubs at the corner of his eye, hoping to appear as cute as he imagined himself to be. “Not yet but we have to get off at the next stop.”, the younger replies. The dancer watches Wenjun lift his right hand to stroke a hair strand out of his face before noticing what he is doing and quickly retreating his hand. Zhengting cannot hold back a satisfied smile seeing the other getting flustered and even turns his face to look out the window to hide it from him. His inside churns in excitement since it’s the first time he finds Wenjun showing some kind of reaction towards him. It also shows that his attempts have not been in vain and he suddenly feels reenergized to keep making the other fall for him. 

Just as Wenjun has told him they then arrive at their destination and get off the bus. With their luggage being carried by the taller of them Zhengting finds himself having the opportunity to snap some shots of him. He has to admit that despite his weak appearance Wenjun is relatively strong. He has not only piggybacked him all the way back to the house last time but is now also carrying his quite heavy luggage. Zhengting feels slightly bad for letting him carry everything but to his defense it was Wenjun who insisted on doing this on his own. Zhengting has already picked up his own bag, ready to carry it to the Bi’s residence when the taller took it away from him and argued about how high the possibility of him straining his waist from carrying the bag is. Maybe it has something to do with how Zhengting has been complaining about it on their way to the bus earlier that day but he would rather believe that it was because Wenjun was worried and cares about his wellbeing.

When the house comes into their sight a sudden feeling of longing overcomes him. Maybe it’s because of how he has been missing his parents the past few days but it’s strange how a place you’ve only been living in for a little longer than a week could feel so much like home. Zhengting gives them both a tight hug before being on the receiving end of Wenjun’s parents’ hugs. It seems like Wenjun has already informed them about his ranking in the tournament as they start telling him encouraging things right after they release Zhengting from their hug. The younger rolls his eyes and quickly disappears with their bags inside his room, trying to escape his parents well-meant but unasked for pep talk. Seeing his chance, the dancer also excuses himself before following the taller into his room. Wenjun is already in the midst of unpacking their luggage when he hears the door open and close behind him. He doesn’t need to turn around to know that it has to be Zhengting who just entered. The others unmistakable sweet scent fills his room the moment he stepped inside, and he doesn’t know since when he was able to discern it from other scents. The realization makes him stop in his action and question its meaning. 

Zhengting who has been observing him from the bed while hugging his new plush toy couldn’t help but to wonder what is bothering the taller as he suddenly stops in the middle of the room. He reaches out one hand to tug at Wenjun’s shirt to get his attention. “Is everything alright?”, he asks with a slight frown appearing on his face. He waits until Wenjun has turned towards him to search for any hint that could give him an answer but couldn’t decipher what is going on in that mind as he is blankly looking back at him. His curiosity only grows when the taller suddenly bolts out of the room while still holding on to the piece of clothes he was about to put away. 

The first thought that comes to his mind was to follow Wenjun but then decided against it. From his experience it’s best to leave them to calm down first before getting to the bottom of the issue. His gaze falls on the bags lying on the floor and as lazy as he is feeling he knows he should at least help unpack his own bags. While unpacking his own belongings and sorting out those that needed to get cleaned his attention gets caught by the yo-yo lying on Wenjun’s desk. He has seen that very particular one in the other’s dorm before. Zhengting really tries to hold back his urge to pick it up and see what’s so special about it but his inner devil still wins the upper hand. One second he was only examining the yo-yo from all sides and the next it was already lying broken on the ground after hitting the desk. He quickly squats down to pick up the broken pieces when he hears footsteps closing on and stopping at the entrance to Wenjun’s room. 

The dancer slowly turns his head towards the door while praying to the heaven above that it’s not Wenjun. To his disappointment his prayers didn’t get answered. Zhengting gulps in fear as he observes how Wenjun’s expression darkens with each passing second. The taller’s eyes are fixated on the broken pieces he is holding in his hand, leaving him no chance to hide them or think about a good reason as to why he accidentally broke the yo-yo and get away with it. He opens his mouth to try to somehow turn the hopeless situation around but gets stopped by Wenjun before he can even utter a sound. The other is rubbing his temples while holding out a hand gesturing for Zhengting to stay quiet. 

Zhu Zhengting really knows how to drive him to his limits. Wenjun is quite well known for his good temper and great patience but like anyone else he also has a point where once it’s crossed it’s over. His friends all know that you should never, under no circumstances, touch his belongings and especially not his yo-yos. Maybe he has been too lenient on Zhengting and maybe it was his fault for not telling him explicitly enough but the broken yo-yo inside the elder’s hands is still the reality he has to deal with now. Looking calmer than he truly is he walks over to the dancer to take the broken pieces from him. The look on his face tells Wenjun how scared he is and maybe that look tugged just a tiny bit at his anger and makes him waver for a millisecond before his gaze falls on his yo-yo and make him forget about any sympathy he was feeling. 

Wenjun gets up and turns towards the door to leave his room when he feels a hand wrapping around his arm and stopping him. “I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new one. I’ll even buy you as many as you want.”, he hears Zhengting tell him. The elder’s words may work on others, but they only make Wenjun angrier. He looks back at the Zhengting with a stern gaze and shrugs his hold off before leaving the room without any reply. On his way out, he passes by their parents but with just one glance on the broken yo-yo in his hand his parents knew not to ask or say anything until their son has calmed down. 

Zhengting knows he fucked up the moment his usual head tilt move doesn’t work. He ruffles his own hair in frustration not caring about how his carefully styled hair gets disheveled. Of course, something has to go wrong when he finally got a bit closer to make Wenjun fall for him. Zhengting sighs as he lets himself fall backwards on the taller’s bed. He picks up the panda plushie and holds it above him. “Tell me what I should do now?” But since the panda is an unanimated object there is no answer coming from him. He doesn’t even understand where the problem lies. Why are those yo-yos so important to Wenjun? Zhengting could easily buy him hundreds if not even thousands if he wants them. Without any clue about the reason and what to do Zhengting is left with sulking and contemplating about them. 

Throughout the evening and even during the next day Wenjun has been ignoring his every attempt at starting a conversation and amending the situation. Seeing how desperate he is, Wenjun’s mother has taken pity on him and explained her son’s dislike of other people taking his things without asking. To make it worse Zhengting has not only touched the yo-yo the younger has won his very first yo-yo tournament with but also broken it. Zhengting sighs as he gazes into space. At least he now understands why Wenjun is so angered and would not let him replace it with a new one. He has an emotional attachment to it which makes the broken yo-yo priceless and even if Zhengting were to use all of his fortune he wouldn’t be able to replace it and give it the same emotional value as the one he broke.

Adding to his stress is knowing that he will be leaving soon and won’t even be able to see Wenjun on the daily basis. He sincerely hopes to at least get on the other’s good side before that but seeing how he can’t think of any way to make him forgive him only makes him more frustrated. Zhengting doesn’t know when he dozed off but the next time he regains consciousness the sun has set and only the light from the moon and stars outside above the tea field illuminate the room. He sits up and looks around with sleepy eyes. His gaze stops at the makeshift bed Wenjun has been sleeping on for the past week which is empty and there is no sign that the younger has been lying on it at all. The dancer searches for his phone to check the time and wonders where the other could be when it is already past midnight.

He gets off the bed and immediately feels the chilliness of the night wrap around his body. Zhengting grabs Wenjun’s hoodie that is draped over the desk chair to put it on while on his way out of the bedroom in search for its missing owner.

Their parents seem to have already settled down as there is no sight of them. He walks through the house in the darkness, looking for the younger in almost every room he can think of and even checks the rooms of their parents, but he still doesn’t find Wenjun. On his way back to the bedroom, the hope of finding Wenjun already almost relinquished, he hears a movement coming from the living room and decides to check it. His mind replays all the horror movies he’s been forced to watch, and he regrets not having turned on the lights when he spots a silhouette of someone lying on the couch. Upon closer inspection he recognizes that the person lying in front of him is no other than the one he has been searching for. Zhengting pouts thinking how Wenjun would rather sleep here than in his own room just because he is still mad about the incident with the yo-yo. He watches the taller turn his body in discomfort trying to find a more comfortable position and pulling at the thin blanket that is way too small for him. Seeing how Wenjun is struggling in his sleep Zhengting contemplates between waking him up to tell him to go sleep in his room or getting him a proper blanket to at least keep him warm. He tries the first option first but doesn’t succeed in waking him up. It turns out that Wenjun is quite the heavy sleeper. The dancer then quickly goes back to their shared room to come back with Wenjun’s blanket. He carefully puts it over the sleeping male and tugs it in on both sides. Satisfied with his work he smiles proudly before squatting next to the sleeping figure and observes him. Zhengting’s eyes wander from Wenjun’s long eyelashes down to his nose and stop at his lips. 

A shy flutter spreads inside him as he keeps staring at the younger. Before he can stop himself, his body has already acted on its own and planted a kiss on the sleeping and unaware male in front of him. Zhengting’s cheeks heat up when he realizes what he has just done before panic takes over. He quickly checks to see whether the other has woken up and sighs in relief when he finds Wenjun still sleeping tightly. He doesn’t want to imagine how awkward it would be if the younger would have woken up by the kiss and how he would then need to explain his actions. His heart starts to speed up again when the initial shock settles down and the realization of his action comes back to the front of his conscience. He should feel ashamed to have taken advantage of Wenjun when he is vulnerable in his sleep but the butterflies inside his stomach try to tell him otherwise. Zhengting props his head on his crossed arms to observe Wenjun for a while longer. He argues with himself that it’s only for five more minutes before he will go back to the comfortable and warm bed that is waiting for him. His eyelids slowly get heavier and heavier and he eventually loses against his sleepiness even when he tries to fight against it with all his might. Zhengting smiles in his sleep, dreaming about all of his favorite things and most importantly of the man he has fallen so deep for.

-

A slight sob can be heard inside the dark room. The blond boy is lying in bed while holding his phone and streaming the latest episode of none other than Fan Chengcheng’s drama. Justin wanted to stop at the previous episode, but the cliffhanger killed him and didn’t allow him to fall asleep. He has to wake up in about three hours to attend his morning class but who needs to sleep anyway when you’re such a genius like him. He has read some of the comments on weibo about the episode which only sparked his curiosity. Now as he is watching it he finally can understand what the whole uproar is about. Justin has to admit that the way Chengcheng is portraying his character really feels too real to the extent that one can literally feel his pain and despair. The episode ends leaving the viewer with the feeling of emptiness not knowing what will happen next and tired from the emotional turmoil. Since the one he just finished is the newest one Justin has nothing else to watch anymore and decides to put his phone away before finally falling asleep. 

During breakfast the next morning his mind is still occupied by the unanswered questions and he suddenly finds himself going online to read the various theories and comments about the drama. He’s not surprised to find a lot of them discussing Chengcheng’s superb acting shown in the last few scenes. The blond boy stops at one particular post from a person who claims to be acquainted with someone from the production staff. The screenshot attached to the post shows the conversation between them and in which the staff member is telling that person of the circumstances Chengcheng had to deal with before filming those scenes. 

Justin clicks on the first screenshot and reads through the paragraphs. He goes through all of them before rereading them. The staff member is saying how the emotions shown in that episode was due to the fact that the actor’s best friend who was visiting the set on that day suddenly got lost and how they couldn’t find him until the late evening. At first Chengcheng supposedly refused to film until they’ve found his friend but after being assured several times that the production company is doing their best to find him and after the young actor has relatively calmed down did he finally agree to continue filming. The results are more than promising and more than what they have wished for which is also being reflected by the positive response from the viewers after the episode aired the previous night.

Justin stars at his phone and blinks dumbfoundedly. If they are talking about his best friend it should be him, right? Well he did visit Chengcheng on set a few times. He goes through each of his visits in his mind and widens his eyes in astonishment as he remembers the day the staff member was probably talking about. The young boy really didn’t know that so much has happened. He remembers tagging along and deciding to go explore the film set on his own when he got bored because Chengcheng was busy filming and had no time to entertain him. He remembers the mad look he was greeted with once he came back and how they argued. Justin couldn’t understand the elder boy’s anger since he was perfectly fine and is more than capable of taking care of himself. He is not a genius for no reason. 

Now looking back to that day, Justin does kind of understand where Chengcheng is coming from, given that the location they were filming at was at the border to a forest and that an accident could have happened. 

He shakes his head in disbelief. Their Cold War did start with that argument they had on set. But regardless of the situation Chengcheng could still have calmly talked to him instead of forbidding him to ever accompany him again. The post keeps plaguing him throughout the day to the extent that even a genius like him got distracted which lead to him getting admonished by his teacher. His personal bodyguard is waiting for him after his lessons ended, ready to chauffeur him to the Fan’s apartment. Justin looks at him with mixed feelings. Since the moment he has been reprimanded he has been contemplating about whether to go visit Tinbao and probably having to face the young actor or stay at home. He misses Tinbao but after reading that particular post Justin has started to reassess their fights following the first one and has not come to any conclusion. He sends his bodyguard away after deciding to stay home until he has reached a better understanding of the whole situation. 

 

The TV is running quietly in the background with the volume turned to a minimum in which you can still hear the people on screen talk but are still able to take in each and every small noise within the apartment. The ticking of the clock indicates the passing time and with each second that passes the male lying on the couch watching the TV program he randomly turned on gets more and more irritated. His eyes wander over to the clock for the umpteenth time that afternoon and notes that another half an hour has passed by without any indication of the arrival of a certain blond boy. Tinbao is lying on top of him sleeping tightly and for once did she not try to murder him before that. 

The kitten suddenly wakes up from her sleep and looks towards the entrance of the apartment making Chengcheng follow her gaze. A second later the sound of a key getting pushed inside the key hole can be heard. The owner and his feline both look at the entrance expectantly as the door gets opened and someone steps inside. “Wow, I leave home for a few days and am welcomed back so warmly.”, Bingbing remarks sarcastically and rolls her eyes as she spots the disappointed looks on both her brother’s and his cat’s faces as she walks inside their shared apartment. “Bet you were expecting someone else.”, she adds. Bingbing gestures for Chengcheng to make some space for her to sit down on the same couch when there is still so much space left. He ignores her which lands him an annoyed glare and a hard slap on his thighs. Chengcheng lets out a yelp and sends his sister an equally annoyed glare back. 

Knowing that he won’t be able to win against her, he finally gives in and sits up so that she can sit where his legs were lying. Tinbao jumps down to the ground when her owner starts to move before looking for another cozy place and lazily closes her eyes again. Chengcheng can feel the eyes of his sister staring at him. He really isn’t in a good mood and really doesn’t want to know what she’s up to but when the intensity of her stares doesn’t cease even after sitting there for quite some time does he finally turn towards her to show that his attention is on her. In contrast to his blank face is Bingbing’s which exudes proudness. Chengcheng swears he can see some tears forming in the corner of her eyes before being engulfed in her tight hug. He groans slightly and gasps for air. 

“I’m so proud of you! I watched the latest episode on my way back and you’ve improved so much.” Hearing his sister’s words make him realize how much he has yearned to get recognized for his work by her. A smile appears on his face even when he tries to pretend to not care too much about it. Chengcheng clears his throat and puts on a serious expression before freeing himself from Bingbing. “Of course, I’m your brother.” Bingbing chuckles, finding him so adorable and pinches his cheeks which earns her an eye roll from the younger. “Stop, I’m not a child anymore!” His sister chuckles and releases her hold on his cheeks and watches him rub them trying to ease the pain. Bingbing lets out a sigh of relief. To say that she wasn’t worried about him following her into the show business is an understatement. She was devastated when he told her about his decision and even tried to persuade him into giving up. Not because she doubted his talent but because she knows too much, has seen too much and been through too much. As a sister she doesn’t wish for her baby brother to go through the same hardships. But Chengcheng was so determined that in the end he turned the tables and changed her mind instead. 

Seeing how he is gaining a lot of recognition from the general audience for his own hard work is a blessing. Although Chengcheng has never mentioned anything about him getting belittled from people talking about how he is only known because he is her younger brother and thus getting special treatments, she still knows about them. From the moment he stepped onto this path she has secretly kept an eye on him to be able to help if he ever needed her. Bingbing has also limited her public display of support to a minimum to let them all see his own effort and for Chengcheng not to be trapped within her shadow. She smiles widely. “You will always be a kid to me.” Chengcheng rolls his eyes once more before taking another glance at the clock again. 

He starts to frown, wondering why Justin hasn’t arrived yet and fearing that the younger has gotten into an accident on his way. Bingbing who has been observing him grins. The more her brother tries to hide his affection and care for Justin the more obvious he is. Only the two of them cannot see how much they mean to the other. “He’s not coming over today. In case you were wondering.”, Bingbing tells him while getting up to go to her room. She can feel Chengcheng’s eyes following her as she walks towards the stairs. 

“I wasn’t!”, he exclaims trying to clarify what they both know is a lie. “Oh right, I should ask Minghao whether he has watched the latest episode! Can’t wait to hear his opinion.”, Bingbing stops and says in a nonchalant voice as if talking to no one in particular but a mere reminder to herself. She chuckles as she hears Chengcheng gasp in surprise, probably not expecting Justin to watch his drama. She quickly disappears upstairs before he can utter any questions and leaves him to ponder about the newly gained information.

-

The elevator stops at the ninth floor and out steps a smiling Xukun. In his hand he is holding a paper bag with some food from the restaurant he recently found by coincidence on his way back from a schedule. He stops in front of Ruibin’s desk who doesn’t even try to hide his surprise to find him standing in front of him at this time of day. “Is Ziyi in?”, Xukun asks suddenly shy now that he is standing in front of Ziyi’s secretary who obviously doesn’t know about the newest development between them yet. After finally clearing up the misunderstandings and been given another chance, the two of them have come to the mutual agreement to take it slow. Ziyi has taken him home after they had dinner together with his younger brother. Without the jealousy clouding his mind he found himself and Dylan getting along quiet well as they both are similar in age. The younger has found a lot of joy in embarrassing his older brother and has told him a lot of their childhood stories during their dinner while Ziyi tried to stop him with threats of exposing his most hidden secrets. Their interaction let Xukun see another side of Ziyi and he is glad that he didn’t back off from this chance or else he is sure he would have regret it.

It has almost been half a week since he has last seen the elder and he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him. Sure, they have been constantly texting in between their busy schedules but it is still not the same. Therefore, it was an easy decision when his manager asked him where he would like to go when his shooting ended earlier than planned. Xukun quickly thanks Ruibin after the other has given his confirmation and walks towards Ziyi’s office. He knocks a few times first before slowly opening the door and glances inside to find Ziyi sitting in front of his computer going through some files. The elder doesn’t look up from his work, thinking that it has to be Ruibin who is probably going to add some more work to his already huge pile. “You can leave the file here as usual, I will go through them later.”, he comments with a sigh. Ziyi actually planned to finish work early today and surprise Xukun at his shooting but seeing how much work is still left he will have to postpone this to another day. All the more is he surprised to hear a familiar chuckle which definitely doesn’t belong to his secretary.

“Kunkun? Why are you here?”, he asks and gestures for the younger to come inside. “You don’t want me to visit you?”, Xukun returns the question with another one and pouts slightly. “Of course not. I’m just surprised.” He waits until Xukun has settled down on the chair opposite of his and clears his desk for the other to be able to place the paper bag on top. “My shooting ended earlier and since you always seem to forget to eat dinner I decided to drop by to make sure that you will eat something proper today.”, the younger explains as he unpacks the food. The air inside Ziyi’s office fills with the delicious aroma of various kinds of dishes.

Ziyi smiles fondly at Xukun. He didn’t expect the younger to suddenly appear, but he is not complaining either. “Let’s eat.”, Xukun says after setting everything out on the desk. The elder quickly locks his computer and sets the files he was working on to the side. “I wasn’t sure what to get so I hope these are fine.” Xukun observes Ziyi as he picks up his chopsticks and tries the first dish, nervous about whether the food is to his liking. He only relaxes when the elder smiles at him and gestures for him to also start eating. “Thank you Kunkun.” Ziyi tells him with one of those smiles that Xukun recently admitted to himself makes him all giddy inside. A small blush appears which he tries to cover up by playing it down and hopes that Ziyi has not noticed his flushed face yet. But of course, Ziyi is faster than him and has seen the younger’s reaction. It only makes the elder swoon more over his cuteness, resulting in Ziyi reaching out a hand to ruffle the younger’s hair. 

“Noooo, my hair!”, Xukun whines and tries to rearrange it the best he can. He pouts sad about his ruined hairstyle which he liked a lot and even asked the hairstylist to fix before he left the shooting. “You still look fantastic Kunkun. You always look good.”, Ziyi says trying to console the younger. His words succeed to make him even more flustered than he already is. “Liar.”, the younger retorts but doesn’t really mean it as a smile is visibly shown on his face. They continue with eating dinner and occasionally exchange little bits of their day. At a point Ziyi is solely listening to Xukun who is telling him about a particularly funny incident that happened during his shoot. “And then the cat peed on him. You should have seen his shocked face.”, Xukun is animatedly reenacting the other model’s reaction and they both burst out in loud laughter. 

It feels good to be able to just enjoy each other’s presence like this and Ziyi couldn’t stop to think that he has made the right decision to give them both another chance. He’s finally seeing how Xukun is opening up to him and being more comfortable around him. It makes him fall even deeper for the model sitting opposite of him. 

The both of them clean up everything after they’ve finished eating. A glance on the time shows them how late it already is. They didn’t even notice how much time has passed by. “It’s already so late. You aren’t going to continue working, right?”, Xukun asks when Ziyi turns his computer back on. The elder halts in his act, already planning to continue working like usual and maybe stay until midnight. He turns towards the younger with a reassuring smile. “I’ll only finish this one.”, the elder replies and points at the file now lying in front of him again and sees a pleased look on Xukun. 

The younger props his head on his crossed arms on the desk and watches him work. He couldn’t help but to appreciate how good Ziyi looks all serious and focused on whatever he is doing. He outlines Ziyi’s features with his finger and smiles to himself. Xukun always thought that you have to go on fancy dates and do big gestures to convey your feelings but right now just sitting there and watching the other, being close to him already makes him feel so contented. Of course, he wouldn’t mind going on those kinds of dates but knowing how busy they both are just underlines the importance of spending time together. Xukun doesn’t know when he has fallen asleep, maybe he was more tired than he thought because when he opens his eyes the next time the night sky you can see through the window of Ziyi’s office was already pitch dark and only the bright lights of the buildings of the city can be seen. 

His eyes wander towards where the sound of fingers hitting the keyboard can be heard and finds Ziyi still working as concentrated as before. He shifts slightly, sore from the position he fell asleep in and the movement catches the attention of the other male inside the office. “Did I wake you up?”, he hears Ziyi softly ask while still being drowsy from his nap. Xukun can feel that a blanket has been draped over his back which Ziyi probably got from his studio next door and reaches out to wrap it tighter around himself as he suddenly feels the chilliness of the night. He wonders how Ziyi doesn’t feel cold in his office when he is already freezing. “What time is it?”, the younger mutters and receives the answer that it is shortly after midnight. Xukun frowns. Didn’t Ziyi say that he only wanted to finish that one file he was working on? “You were so soundly asleep, I didn’t want to wake you.”, the elder replies apologetically making the younger realize that he probably just asked the question out loud. Xukun looks at Ziyi for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. He just couldn’t get mad at Ziyi for doing what he did when he looks at him like that and when he only had good intentions in mind. “Can we leave now?”, he asks instead and receives a bright smile from the elder who quickly saves the files he was working on to shut down the computer.

They leave the office together and it doesn’t take them long to arrive at Xukun’s apartment complex. Usually the sight of the building makes him relax and anticipate because he is getting home after a long day at work with his bed waiting for him but not this time. Even though he wanted Ziyi to get off work on time or at least not as late as he usually would to get enough rest and even though it is already past his own sleeping time, Xukun finds himself reluctant to exit the car and having to part ways with Ziyi. The elder parks his car close to the entrance of the building and turns to look at him. He reaches out and caress the younger’s cheeks with another one of his soft smiles that makes Xukun’s heart melt like an ice cream in the blazing sun. “What’s wrong?”, Ziyi asks almost in a whisper. Xukun doesn’t answer him, too shy to acknowledge to the other that he doesn’t want him to leave. Maybe his longing gaze has betrayed him but he doesn’t have to ponder about it for long since the knowing look in Ziyi’s eyes gives him the confirmation that the elder has at least guessed the reason for his sudden change in mood.

Before Xukun knows it Ziyi has already exited the car to open the door for the younger. “I’ll take you upstairs before I leave.”, he hears him say and he is left with no other option but to cave in and follow the elder as he turns around to walk towards the entrance. They ride the elevator upstairs and arrive in front of Xukun’s apartment. The younger turns towards Ziyi with a pout on his face, still reluctant to let him go before wrapping his arms around him and burying his face into his chest. “Don’t you want to stay?”, he mutters against Ziyi’s chest after swallowing down his pride. He can feel his cheeks heat up and is glad that he decided to hide his face from the elder’s sight. Xukun hears a light chuckle coming from the man he is currently hugging, and his pout deepens.

Ziyi returns the hug as he also wraps his own arms around the younger male. He was able to guess that the younger didn’t want him to leave so soon but the sight of Xukun currently hugging him so tightly still makes him want to give in just to be reminded that they have decided to take it slow. He slowly releases their hug to be able to make eye contact with Xukun. Ziyi would lie if the flushed face doesn’t make him think about his own decision twice but one of them has to be the rational one. He leans in and plants a peck on Xukun’s head. “It’s late. Didn’t you tell me you had another shooting tomorrow at noon? How about I’ll come pick you up afterwards?”, he suggests and waits as Xukun contemplates about it. He plants another peck on the younger’s head after getting him to agree and waits in front of the entrance until Xukun has entered before turning around to leave. Ziyi is positively surprised by how clingy the other can be but it only makes him even more adorable in his eyes. He drives back home, his mind already going through the tasks he would need to finish before leaving work the next day and goes to bed as soon as he arrives but doesn’t forget to send Xukun his daily good night message.

The screen of the model’s phone lights up indicating a new message.

 

_01:43_

_Ziyi_ _❤_

_Goodnight Kunkun_ _❤_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so this has been the longest chapter I've written and the story has exceeded the 100.000 words mark 
> 
> so many things happened within the last month...   
> what I'm currently excited about is Xukun's US&UK tour, guess who is flying to London to see him *O*
> 
> Another thing, please always be careful and don't trip on things like me and injure yourself. A simple fall can really come along with a lot of injuries.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments as they are as always very much appreciated   
> I'll try to reply to them as soon as I can :D which sometimes does take longer


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